Urbanisation: where, why, when?

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Which countries are urbanising?

In almost all regions, a growing proportion of people are living in cities. But the fastest change is in the developing world

What is driving urbanisation?

Birth rates are much higher in rural areas. So is childhood mortality, but not enough to offset the higher fertility. Migration is the main driver

Does urbanisation bring benefits?

With some exceptions, urban areas typically score better on social and economic indicators such as education and child health

Is the urban–rural gap shrinking?

It appears that, over time, rural areas are gradually catching up with urban areas, so urbanisation is bringing diminishing returns

What next?

The urbanisation trend is expected to continue. The UN estimates that 66 per cent of the world’s population will live in urban areas by 2050

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Change since 1950

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A SciDev.Net project

Interactive by Kiln

Additional research by Jerry Redfern

Population data from UN World Urbanisation Prospects

Development data from US Demographic & Health Surverys

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