Indonesia's largest cities, 1975 to 2050

Jakarta is Indonesia's largest city at about 41.9 million in 2025, nearly five times Bandung (8.9 million), and is projected to reach 51.8 million by 2050.

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What the data shows

In 2025, Jakarta ranks #1 with 41.9M, ahead of Bandung (8.9M) and Surabaya (6.8M).
By 2050, on the UN's projections, Jakarta is projected to rank #1 with 51.8M, ahead of Bandung (9.7M) and Surabaya (6.3M).
Jakarta holds #1 for the whole period, 1975 to 2025.
Biggest climber: Denpasar, from #14 in 1975 to #6 in 2050.
Jakarta grew 3.6× between 1975 and 2025.

About this chart

No other city on the list comes close to Jakarta. The UN counts about 41.9 million people in its urban area in 2025, up from 11.7 million in 1975, while second-place Bandung has about 8.9 million and Surabaya about 6.8 million. Jakarta's growth is projected to continue, to about 51.8 million in 2050, although the pace slows from roughly 3.5 million added per five years in the 2000s to under 2.5 million by the 2040s.

Surabaya is the one top city expected to shrink: it peaked near 6.9 million in 2020 and is projected at 6.3 million by 2050. Tasikmalaya, at about 2.83 million in 2025, ranks fifth and is projected to reach 3.4 million. These are UN Degree of Urbanization figures, which count contiguous dense areas, so they differ from city-proper or metro counts. Years after 2025 are projections.

The data

Source: UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects: The 2025 Revision (File 21), city population, millions, 1975–2050 (projected after 2025). Retrieved November 4, 2026. Cities as defined by the Degree of Urbanization (contiguous dense areas), so figures differ from city-proper or metro counts.

Indonesia's largest cities, Population in millions, 1975 to 2050, 1975–2050
Date	🇮🇩 Jakarta	🇮🇩 Bandung	🇮🇩 Surabaya	🇮🇩 Medan	🇮🇩 Tasikmalaya	🇮🇩 Yogyakarta	🇮🇩 Semarang	🇮🇩 Denpasar	🇮🇩 Makassar	🇮🇩 Palembang	🇮🇩 Malang	🇮🇩 Slawi	🇮🇩 Surakarta	🇮🇩 Batam City	🇮🇩 Purwokerto
1975	11.7M	3.5M	3.6M	1.7M	1.1M	1.7M	1.2M	0.2M	0.8M	1.1M	1.2M	1.3M	1.3M		1.1M
1980	14.2M	3.9M	4.1M	2.3M	1.2M	2.0M	1.5M	0.3M	1.0M	1.2M	1.3M	1.4M	1.4M		1.2M
1985	16.8M	4.5M	4.6M	2.6M	1.5M	2.1M	1.7M	0.5M	1.1M	1.4M	1.4M	1.5M	1.5M		1.3M
1990	19.7M	5.1M	5.0M	3.0M	1.7M	2.2M	1.9M	0.6M	1.3M	1.6M	1.5M	1.7M	1.5M		1.3M
1995	22.4M	5.7M	5.4M	3.2M	1.9M	2.4M	2.0M	0.9M	1.4M	1.8M	1.6M	1.8M	1.5M	0.1M	1.4M
2000	25.6M	6.3M	5.7M	3.4M	2.1M	2.5M	2.2M	1.3M	1.5M	2.0M	1.7M	1.9M	1.6M	0.3M	1.4M
2005	28.9M	7.0M	6.2M	3.6M	2.2M	2.6M	2.3M	1.5M	1.7M	2.0M	1.8M	1.9M	1.6M	0.6M	1.4M
2010	32.6M	7.6M	6.5M	3.9M	2.2M	2.7M	2.4M	1.8M	1.9M	1.9M	1.9M	1.8M	1.6M	0.8M	1.4M
2015	36.1M	8.2M	6.8M	4.1M	2.4M	2.9M	2.6M	2.0M	2.1M	2.0M	1.9M	1.8M	1.6M	1.0M	1.4M
2020	39.1M	8.5M	6.9M	4.2M	2.7M	2.8M	2.7M	2.2M	2.2M	2.1M	1.9M	1.8M	1.6M	1.3M	1.4M
2025	41.9M	8.9M	6.8M	4.2M	2.8M	2.8M	2.7M	2.4M	2.3M	2.1M	1.9M	1.7M	1.5M	1.5M	1.3M
2030	44.6M	9.2M	6.8M	4.3M	3.0M	2.7M	2.7M	2.5M	2.3M	2.1M	1.9M	1.7M	1.5M	1.7M	1.3M
2035	47.0M	9.4M	6.7M	4.2M	3.1M	2.7M	2.6M	2.6M	2.3M	2.1M	1.8M	1.6M	1.5M	2.0M	1.3M
2040	49.0M	9.6M	6.6M	4.2M	3.2M	2.6M	2.5M	2.7M	2.4M	2.1M	1.8M	1.5M	1.4M	2.2M	1.2M
2045	50.6M	9.7M	6.5M	4.2M	3.3M	2.5M	2.5M	2.8M	2.4M	2.1M	1.8M	1.4M	1.4M	2.5M	1.2M
2050	51.8M	9.7M	6.3M	4.1M	3.4M	2.4M	2.4M	2.8M	2.4M	2.1M	1.7M	1.4M	1.3M	2.7M	1.1M

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Frequently asked questions

What is the largest city in Indonesia?

In 2025, Jakarta ranks #1 with 41.9M, followed by Bandung (8.9M) and Surabaya (6.8M). Source: UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects: The 2025 Revision (File 21), city population, millions, 1975–2050 (projected after 2025).

What is the largest city in Indonesia?

Jakarta is the largest city in Indonesia in 2025, with about 41.9 million people under the UN's Degree of Urbanization definition. Bandung is second at about 8.9 million and Surabaya third at about 6.8 million.

Why is Jakarta's population so much higher than the official city figure?

The UN counts the whole contiguous dense urban area, which extends well beyond the administrative city, rather than a city-proper or a metro boundary. That is why this figure is far larger than city-proper counts. Use it to compare cities on one definition.

How big will Jakarta be in 2050?

The UN projects Jakarta at about 51.8 million people in 2050, up from about 41.9 million in 2025. That is a projection under a medium scenario, and the growth rate is expected to slow over time.

Where does this data come from?

UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects: The 2025 Revision (File 21), city population, millions, 1975–2050 (projected after 2025). Retrieved November 4, 2026. Cities as defined by the Degree of Urbanization (contiguous dense areas), so figures differ from city-proper or metro counts. You can download the full table as a CSV from this page.

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