As per a decadal analysis of forest cover change in megacities of India between 2011 and 2021, Hyderabad emerged as the city with a 147 percent growth in forest area, followed by Chennai and Delhi. Ahmedabad lost 48 percent of its forest cover in a period of ten years.

In a survey conducted in 2022 among respondents from megacities of India, Surat emerged on the top in terms of clean mobility with a score of 0.61, among all megacities of India. It was closely followed by Chennai and Pune-Pimpri-Chinwad. The parameter of clean mobility includes impact of air pollution, clean mobility focused policies, willingness to adopt electric mobility, among others. Megacities are defined as the cities with a population of over four million as per the survey. The Ease of Moving Index is a composite index comprising nine parameters across 41 indicators. The parameters include seamless, inclusive, clean, efficient and shared mobility and investment in the city among others.

In a survey conducted in 2022 among respondents from megacities of India, Pune emerged on the top with a score of 45.4 among all megacities of India, followed by Mumbai and Hyderabad. Megacities are defined as cities with a population of over four million, as per the survey. The Ease of Moving Index is a composite index comprising nine parameters across 41 indicators. The parameters include seamless, inclusive, clean, efficient, and shared mobility and investment in the city, among others.

In a survey conducted in 2022 among respondents from megacities of India, Kolkata emerged at the top among all megacities of India in terms of achieving the goal of active and shared mobility, with a score of 0.56. It was followed by Bengaluru and Chennai. Active and shared mobility includes a robust public transportation system, active mobility including walking and cycling, and investment in active mobility infrastructure in the city. Megacities are defined as the cities with a population of over four million as per the survey. The Ease of Moving Index is a composite index comprising nine parameters across 41 indicators. The parameters include seamless, inclusive, clean, efficient and shared mobility and investment in the city among others.

In a survey conducted in 2022 among respondents from megacities of India, Surat emerged on the top in terms of getting closer to the goal of zero road accidents with a score of 0.48, among all megacities of India. It was closely followed by Pune and Hyderabad. The parameter includes commuter perception, road fatality numbers and other road infrastructure related points. Megacities are defined as the cities with a population of over four million as per the survey. The Ease of Moving Index is a composite index comprising nine parameters across 41 indicators. The parameters include seamless, inclusive, clean, efficient and shared mobility and investment in the city among others.

Delhi was the largest city in terms of number of inhabitants in India in 2023.The capital city was estimated to house nearly 33 million people, with Mumbai ranking second that year. India's population estimate was 1.4 billion, ahead of China that same year.

As of 2024, Mumbai had a gross domestic product of 368 billion U.S. dollars, the highest among other major cities in India. It was followed by Delhi with a GDP of around 167 billion U.S. dollars. India’s megacities also boast the highest GDP among other cities in the country. What drives the GDP of India’s megacities? Mumbai is the financial capital of the country, and its GDP growth is primarily fueled by the financial services sector, port-based trade, and the Hindi film industry or Bollywood. Delhi in addition to being the political hub hosts a significant services sector. The satellite cities of Noida and Gurugram amplify the city's economic status. The southern cities of Bengaluru and Chennai have emerged as IT and manufacturing hubs respectively. Hyderabad is a significant player in the pharma and IT industries. Lastly, the western city of Ahmedabad, in addition to its strategic location and ports, is powered by the textile, chemicals, and machinery sectors. Does GDP equal to quality of life? Cities propelling economic growth and generating a major share of GDP is a global phenomenon, as in the case of Tokyo, Shanghai, New York, and others. However, the GDP, which measures the market value of all final goods and services produced in a region, does not always translate to a rise in quality of life. Five of India’s megacities featured in the Global Livability Index, with low ranks among global peers. The Index was based on indicators such as healthcare, political stability, environment and culture, infrastructure, and others.

In 2024, Bangladesh's capital Dhaka had a pollution index score of 93.9, the highest among megacities in the Asia-Pacific region. In contrast, Japan's capital Tokyo had a pollution index score of 42.2 that year. Megacities on course for growth The United Nations defines megacities as cities with over ten million inhabitants. The population living in megacities has doubled in size in the last twenty years and is expected to rise even more until 2035. Today, the Asia-Pacific region is home to the highest number of megacities, with China and India alone accounting for around half of all megacities worldwide. At the same time, only half of the population in Asia is living in cities. This figure is also expected to rise exponentially over the next years, especially with much of the younger population migrating to larger cities. The growth of megacities and their higher population densities bring along several environmental problems. Exposure to pollution in India The most populated cities in APAC are located in Japan, China and India. As seen above, India's capital also falls among the top three most polluted megacities in the region and ranks second among the most polluted capital cities worldwide with an average PM2.5 concentration. As one of the fastest emerging economies in the world, India's rapid urbanization and industrialization have led to high pollution rates in different areas. The volume of emissions from coal-fired power plants has led to electricity and heat accounting for the largest share of greenhouse gas emissions in India. The country is also among the nations with the highest population share exposed to hazardous concentrations of air pollution worldwide.

In a survey conducted in 2022 among respondents from megacities of India, Pune-Pimpri Chinwad emerged on top in terms of inclusive mobility with a score of 0.49, among all megacities of India. It was closely followed by Mumbai and Bengaluru. The parameter of inclusive mobility includes mobility systems meeting the needs of diverse group of populations including women, children, trans/non-binary, the elderly, the disabled among others.. Megacities are defined as cities with a population of over four million as per the survey. The Ease of Moving Index is a composite index comprising nine parameters across 41 indicators. The parameters include seamless, inclusive, clean, efficient and shared mobility and investment in the city among others.

As of September 2024, Mumbai had the highest cost of living among other cities in the country, with an index value of 26.5. Gurgaon, a satellite city of Delhi and part of the National Capital Region (NCR) followed it with an index value of 25.1.  What is cost of living? The cost of living varies depending on geographical regions and factors that affect the cost of living in an area include housing, food, utilities, clothing, childcare, and fuel among others. The cost of living is calculated based on different measures such as the consumer price index (CPI), living cost indexes, and wage price index. CPI refers to the change in the value of consumer goods and services. The wage price index, on the other hand, measures the change in labor services prices due to market pressures. Lastly, the living cost indexes calculate the impact of changing costs on different households. The relationship between wages and costs determines affordability and shifts in the cost of living. Mumbai tops the list Mumbai usually tops the list of most expensive cities in India. As the financial and entertainment hub of the country, Mumbai offers wide opportunities and attracts talent from all over the country. It is the second-largest city in India and has one of the most expensive real estates in the world.

As of September 2024, Pune was the leading Indian city in local purchasing power among other Indian cities, with an index score of over 150. It was followed by Gurgaon and Hyderabad. The local purchasing power index depicts the relative purchasing power of goods and services in a city for the average net salary in that city.

As per the Global Liveability Index of 2024, five Indian cities figured on the list comprising 173 across the world. Indian megacities Delhi and Mumbai tied for 141st place with a score of 60.2 out of 100. They were followed by Chennai (59.9), Ahmedabad (58.9), and Bengaluru (58.7). What are indicators for livability The list was topped by Vienna for yet another year. The index measures cities on five broad indicators such as stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure. As per the Economic Intelligence Unit’s suggestions, if a city’s livability score is between 50 to 60 then “livability is substantially constrained”. Less than 50 means most aspects of living are severely restricted. Least Liveable cities on the index The least liveable cities were in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East and North Africa regions. Damascus and Tripoli ranked the lowest. Tel Aviv also witnessed significant drop due to war with Hamas.

In 2014, the greenness index of Mumbai was about 0.41, up from about 0.39 in the year 2000. Sanjay Gandhi National Park located in northern Mumbai is spread over 104 square kilometers. Many small and large parks are spread across the city, with Aarey milk colony being the second largest green area.

Among megacities, Hyderabad and Chennai registered a hiring growth of 15 and 13 percent respectively, in December 2024, as compared to the corresponding period in the previous year. Emerging cities such as Bhubaneswar and Coimbatore registered impressive hiring growth of 44 and 29 percent respectively.

In 2023, Bangalore in India had the highest local purchasing power index score across megacities in the Asia-Pacific region, at 96. Japan's capital Tokyo followed with a local purchasing power index score of 90. In contrast, Karachi and Lahore, Pakistan's two megacities, had local purchasing power index scores of around 22 each.

This statistic represents the greenness index of Bangalore in India from 1990 to 2014. In 2014, the greenness index of Bangalore was about 0.34, down from about 0.41 in the year 2000.

In 2022, roughly 43 percent of Bhutan's population resided in urban areas. Comparatively, approximately 19 percent of Sri Lanka's population lived in urban areas in 2022.

Urbanization in the APAC region

The Asia-Pacific region is currently experiencing a significant trend towards urbanization, with a growing number of individuals relocating from rural areas to urban centers in pursuit of improved economic prospects. From 2015 to 2020, there was an increase in the urban population throughout Asia. The projection for the region indicates a continuation of urbanization, although at a decelerated rate. As of 2021, a third of the entire population of India resided in urban areas. The data shows a notable upsurge in urbanization in India over the past ten years, indicating a shift of the populace from rural to urban centers in search of employment opportunities and livelihood.

 Population of megacities in APAC 

The APAC region is home to some of the world's most populous megacities. According to recent data, in 2023, the annual metropolitan population growth rate of China surpassed that of other megacities in the APAC region. In contrast to other cities, the three megacities in Japan, namely Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya, exhibited the lowest annual population growth rates. That same year, the APAC region was home to 28 megacities, more than ten of which were in China. India, Japan, and Pakistan also had more than once megacity each as of January 2023.

The statistic shows the built up area per capita of Mumbai in India from 1975 to 2015. In 2015, the built up area per capita of Mumbai amounted to about 18 square meters, down from about 25 square meters in 1975.

This statistic shows the projected population of the largest urban agglomerations worldwide in 2035. In that year, the population of the New York-Newark agglomeration in the United States is projected to be 20.8 million people.

The statistic shows the built up area per capita of Hyderabad in India from 1975 to 2015. In 2015, the built up area per capita of Hyderabad amounted to about 45 square meters, down from about 49 square meters in 2000.