2045 Megacities

By the year 2045, megacities—urban areas with populations exceeding 10 million—have become even more prominent as engines of global growth, innovation, and cultural exchange. Cities like Tokyo, Delhi, Shanghai, and São Paulo remain among the largest, but newer megacities such as Lagos, Dhaka, and Kinshasa have surged ahead due to rapid population growth and urban migration. While Tokyo’s population has stabilized or slightly declined due to Japan’s aging demographics, cities in South Asia and Africa have experienced explosive growth, reflecting broader global trends of urbanization in developing regions. The histories of these cities are diverse: Tokyo’s transformation from Edo, a feudal capital, to a global metropolis contrasts sharply with Lagos, which evolved from a colonial port to Africa’s largest city. Meanwhile, cities like New York and London, once the epitome of urban modernity, now face challenges of aging infrastructure and inequality, whereas cities like Jakarta and Cairo struggle with environmental pressures and resource management. The megacities of 2045 thus represent a complex tapestry of historical legacies, demographic shifts, and the ongoing challenges of sustainable urban development.

Data from UN World Urbanization Prospects