In 1950, the worldwide inhabitants stood at 2.5 billion and simply 20 per cent had been metropolis dwellers. By 2050, two-thirds of worldwide development is projected to happen in cities and the rest in cities.
Moreover, “megacities” – metropolitan areas with 10 million or extra inhabitants – will proceed to develop whereas rural areas will additional decline, besides in sub-Saharan Africa.
‘A defining power’
These are among the many findings within the World Urbanization Prospects 2025: Abstract of Outcomes, printed on Tuesday by the UN Division of Financial and Social Affairs (UNDESA).
It comes as international locations negotiate local weather motion commitments at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, and underscores the pivotal function of urbanization in attaining sustainable growth and local weather resilience.
“Urbanization is a defining power of our time. When managed inclusively and strategically, it will probably unlock transformative pathways for local weather motion, financial development, and social fairness,” stated Li Junhua, head of UNDESA.
“To realize balanced territorial growth, international locations should undertake built-in nationwide insurance policies that align housing, land use, mobility, and public providers throughout city and rural areas.”
Megacities on the rise
The report paperwork a fourfold enhance within the variety of megacities since 1975, from eight to 33. Nineteen of them are in Asia.
Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta – dwelling to almost 42 million folks – is the world’s most populous metropolis, adopted by Dhaka, Bangladesh, with virtually 40 million residents, and Tokyo, Japan, with 33 million.
Egypt’s capital Cairo is the one metropolis exterior Asia to make the highest 10.
The megacities listing is anticipated to rise to 37 by 2050 because the populations of Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), Hajipur (India), and Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) are on observe to surpass the ten million mark.
Small however mighty
Internationally, extra folks stay in small and medium-sized cities, that are rising at a sooner tempo than megacities – significantly in Africa and Asia.
The specialists analysed some 12,000 cities. The bulk, 96 per cent, have fewer than a million inhabitants, whereas 81 per cent have fewer than 250,000.
The complete variety of cities has greater than doubled since 1975, and projections point out it may exceed 15,000 by mid-century, with most cities having populations under 250,000.
Diverging development patterns
Though many cities proceed to develop, the report reveals that others are experiencing inhabitants decline.
“Some metropolis populations are shrinking whilst their international locations’ populations develop, whereas others are rising regardless of the decline of the nationwide inhabitants,” it stated.
Most cities which can be shrinking had fewer than 250,000 inhabitants in 2025. Greater than a 3rd are in China and 17 per cent are in India.
Nonetheless, Mexico Metropolis and Chengdu, China, are amongst very giant cities which have additionally seen inhabitants decreases.
Cities and rural areas
In the meantime, cities – outlined as having at the least 5,000 inhabitants – are the commonest settlement kind in additional than 70 international locations, a various group that features Germany, India, Uganda, and america.
Rural areas stay the commonest settlement kind in 62 international locations, in comparison with 116 in 1975, and that is anticipated to additional decline to 44 by 2050.
Sub-Saharan Africa is the one area that continues to see development on this regard, and it’s anticipated to account for practically all future rural inhabitants development.
