Largest Cities in Asia by Population

1. Tokyo, Japan (Approx. 37.2 Million)

Despite Japan’s overall shrinking population, Tokyo remains the world's largest urban area. It operates with surgical precision, utilizing the most complex railway network on Earth. Its "size" is actually a cluster of merged cities, including Yokohama and Kawasaki, creating a continuous urban blanket across the Kanto Plain.

2. Jakarta, Indonesia (Approx. 35.4 Million)

Known locally as Jabodetabek, Jakarta is the fastest-sinking city in the world. It is a place of extreme contrasts, where gleaming skyscrapers sit adjacent to dense informal settlements. The overcrowding and environmental pressure are so intense that Indonesia is currently building a whole new capital city, Nusantara, on the island of Borneo.

3. Delhi, India (Approx. 33.8 Million)

Delhi is a massive historical and political sprawl. Unlike the vertical growth of Hong Kong, Delhi grows outward, absorbing satellite cities like Gurgaon and Noida. It is on track to overtake Tokyo as the world’s most populous city by the end of this decade.

4. Guangzhou, China (Approx. 27.1 Million)

Guangzhou is the primary hub of the Pearl River Delta, which is effectively the "factory of the world." If you consider the entire delta as one urban area—linking Guangzhou with Shenzhen, Dongguan, and Hong Kong—you are looking at a megalopolis of over 60 million people.

5. Mumbai, India (Approx. 26.5 Million)

Mumbai is the financial heartbeat of India. Because it is built on a series of former islands, it cannot grow outward easily. This has forced the city to become incredibly dense, resulting in some of the most expensive real estate in Asia alongside massive redevelopment projects in older neighborhoods.

6. Manila, Philippines (Approx. 26.1 Million)

Greater Manila is one of the most densely populated places on the planet. It is a vibrant, high-energy region that faces significant challenges with "gridlock" traffic, leading to the rapid development of new "business districts" like Bonifacio Global City to help decentralize the traditional core.

7. Shanghai, China (Approx. 25.8 Million)

As China’s commercial capital, Shanghai represents the "future" of Asian urbanism. It features a highly digitized infrastructure, from its fully automated metro lines to its massive deep-water ports. It serves as the gateway to the Yangtze River Delta.

8. Seoul, South Korea (Approx. 25.2 Million)

The Seoul Capital Area houses nearly half of South Korea’s entire population. It is perhaps the most "connected" city on the list, with world-leading internet speeds and a high-tech lifestyle that integrates seamlessly into everyday activities, from shopping to transit.

9. Dhaka, Bangladesh (Approx. 24.5 Million)

Dhaka is growing at an incredible rate, driven by the nation's booming textile industry. It is a city defined by movement and resilience, currently undergoing a massive transformation with the construction of its first-ever elevated metro rail systems to alleviate surface-level congestion.

10. Karachi, Pakistan (Approx. 21.2 Million)

Karachi is a sprawling coastal giant and the economic engine of Pakistan. It is a "melting pot" city that has seen rapid, often unplanned horizontal growth, making it a critical focus for international urban planners looking at infrastructure and water management in megacities.

A Note on "Chongqing"

You will often see Chongqing cited as the largest city because its administrative boundary contains 32 million people. However, that boundary is the size of Austria and is mostly rural. In terms of "actual" continuous urban city-dwelling population, it usually sits just outside this top 10.