Degawan, Anna Katrina M. BEED4 "Half of humanity now lives in cities and within two decades, nearly 60 per cent of the world's people will be urban dwellers," according to a UN Habitat study. As cities expand into mega regions, there is a rapid growth in the population as well. Some of the world's richest cities are also the most populous. A report by McKinsey Global Institute says that India will have 68 cities by 2030 with a population of over 1 million, 13 cities with more than 4 million people, and 6 megacities with populations of 10 million or more. Here's a list of the world's 15 biggest metropolitan areas. 1. Tokyo (Japan) Metropolitan area: 35.2 million people City: 12.9 million people Tokyo, capital city of Japan is the most populous metropolitan area and the world's largest metropolitan economy with a GDP of $1.479 trillion at purchasing power parity in 2008. 2. Seoul (South Korea) Metropolitan area: 25 million people City: 10.4 million people The Seoul National Capital Area is the world's second largest metropolitan area. Seoul accounts for 21 percent of the country's GDP and is home to major multinational conglomerates such as Samsung, LG and Hyundai. In 2008, Seoul was named the world's sixth mos t economically powerful city by Forbes. 3. Jakarta (Indonesia) Metropolitan area: 22 million people City: 9.6 million people The capital city of Indonesia, Jakarta is listed as a global city in the 2008 Globalisation and World Cities Study Group and Network (GaWC) research. Jakarta's economy depends on financial services, trade, and manufacturing. In 2009, 13 per cent of the population had a per capita income of over $ 10,000. 4. Mumbai Metropolitan area: 21.9 million people City: 14 million people Mumbai, the capital of Maharashtra, is the most populous city in India, and the second most populous city in the world.
