A city with scorching December temperatures has climbed 32 places to become the world's most populous, with more than 40 million residents. Jakarta, the capital of the Southeast Asian nation of Indonesia, has leapt from 33rd place in 2018 to the top position in a new United Nations report ranking the world's most populous cities.

Surpassing the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka (second place with nearly 37 million people) and 2018 winner Tokyo, Japan (third with 33 million), Jakarta boasts a staggering population of almost 42 million in 2025. Interestingly, every city in the top ten is in Asia (except the Egyptian capital, Cairo, at seventh). The report also highlights that more than half of all the world's 33 megacities (defined as containing 10 million people or more) are found on the continent.

Meanwhile, the other cities that feature in the top ten were the Indian capital of New Delhi (with 30.2 million), Shanghai, China (29.6m), Guangzhou, China (27.6m), Manila, Philippines (24.7m), Kolkata, India (22.5m), and Seoul, South Korea (22.5m), reports NBC News.

Jakarta is the capital of Indonesia, a vast Southeast Asian country between the Indian and Pacific Oceans that comprises thousands of distinct islands, reportedly more than 17,000.

Indeed, Indonesia has so many islands that it has never been able to count them entirely or give them names, writes the BBC. Jakarta lies on the island of Java, the world's most populous island with a staggering 150 million people.

Situated between the island of Sumatra to the east and the popular holiday destination of Bali, to the west, Java is also home to a number of volcanoes, with 129 active ones across the Indonesian nation, reports Sky News.

Indonesia lies in the Pacific Ring of Fire, a series of volcanoes and areas of seismic activity that line the Pacific. In fact, Java's Mount Semeru erupted only this month.

A vibrant city in the west of Java, Jakarta is "sometimes overlooked" by tourists visiting the island's breathtaking historical landmarks, writes Lonely Planet, but they are actually "missing out".

It highlighted the city's culinary offerings and coffee, its museums, art galleries, and old quarter, claiming it offers "exciting" nightlife and some of the "best shopping" in all of Southeast Asia.

Highlights include Old Jakarta, featuring the cobblestone square of Taman Fatahillah, Merdeka Square, the Museum Nasional, Glodok (the city's Chinatown), and more than 150 shopping malls.

It also noted that the city suffers from congested roads and smog and is both hot and humid throughout the year. Average temperatures reportedly range from 23°C to 33°C.

Some of the cuisine on offer includes traditional Indonesian fare, such as the fried rice dish nasi goreng, as well as more localised meals - perhaps babi guling (a roast pig dish from Bali) or seafood inspired by the island of Sulawesi.

According to Migrationology, there are two common types of street food available: Warung (small restaurants) and Pedagang kaki lima, which refers to street vendors.

Other dishes highlighted by the website include Nasi uduk (rice cooked in coconut milk), a soup called Soto Betawi, Woku, Sop kaki kambing (a soup made with goat), and the grilled fish dish Ikan bakar.