Poorest Cities in Asia in 2025: A Glimpse into Urban Poverty

In 2025, there remain a number of cities in Asia that deal with severe poverty, low levels of infrastructure development, access to essential services, and employment opportunities. These cities reflect the wider economic conditions present within their countries. Also read, Top 10 poorest cities in Georgia 2025, Top 10 Poorest Cities in the US

Dhaka, Bangladesh

Ever-growing Dhaka serves as the capital of Bangladesh. By the end of 2025, its population will exceed 25 million and lead it to become one of the fastest growing cities in the world. This boom in growth has accompanied cases of severe population density, lack of infrastructure, and considerable levels of poverty for its residents. Many of Dhaka’s residents live in slums with poor access to clean water, sanitation, healthcare, and emergency services. Poor economic conditions tend to be intensified by another factor; political uncertainty, and a vulnerable ecosystem contribute to the issues of poverty in the city. 

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, is the capital city of Mongolia and provides housing to a large part of the country. While crucial to the country, the city has high levels of unemployment, inadequate and poor housing development, and limited access to essential services. The presence of informal settlements, historically known as “ger districts,” have not provided an escape from inadequate and poor living conditions. These ger districts also suffer from overcrowding, while also have poor infrastructure development that further contribute to levels of poverty within the city overall.

Manila, Philippines

As the capital region of the Philippines, Manila occupies a large metropolitan area with a population of more than 13 million people. While this region is considered to be the economic center of the country, it exhibits very high poverty rates in some informal settlements. Some of these living social and economic conditions are compounded by limited access to education, healthcare, and jobs. The degree of separation between the well-off and the poor communities indicates some of the overall challenges the city faces to eradicate poverty. 

Yangon, Myanmar

Yangon, which is the largest city in Myanmar, is facing enormous economic issues driven by political instability and economic sanctions. As a result, the city has also been experiencing high unemployment rates, inflation, and limited access to basic services. Within this city, many people live in informal settlements with little or no basic infrastructure, which whole contributes to the early stages of poverty within the overall broader city context. 

Vientiane, Laos

Vientiane, as the capital of Laos, is challenged with urbanization and some limited economic growth. While there have been some growth in the city, poverty is still a problem as there are not many job opportunities, infrastructure, agricultural reliance, and limited access to basic services. In the overall context of the city, many people still live in rural areas with almost no services, which also contributes to the overall poverty of the city.