Ecofact

The world is experiencing an unprecedented transition from predominantly rural to urban living. Here are some urbanisation facts:

• Almost 180,000 people are added to the urban population each day
• By 2030, it is expected that 85 per cent of the world’s population will be in developing countries, with 15 per cent in least developed countries
• By 2050, about 70 per cent of the world’s population is expected to live in urban areas
• Cities contribute to up to 70 per cent of the total greenhouse gas emissions
• The world’s slum population is projected to reach 889 million by 2020
• Today, there are 13 megacities in Asia, 4 in Latin America and two each in Africa, Europe and Northern America
• Megacities account for a small though increasing proportion of the world urban population: 9.9 per cent in 2011 and 13.6 per cent in 2025.
• Over the next four decades, urban population is likely to treble in Africa and to increase by 1.7 times in Asia