Translated with AI
In the middle of the last century, only 20 percent of the world's population lived in cities, while today that figure stands at 45 percent of the planet's total population, which has already reached 8.2 billion. However, the study's authors believe that urbanization will slow down. This is stated in a new report published today by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), according to the UN press service.
Urbanization is one of the most significant demographic shifts in human history, fundamentally changing how and where people live, work, and form communities.
This trend brings significant benefits, but it also creates obvious challenges. Positive aspects include economic development, job creation, and access to education, healthcare, and infrastructure for a larger number of people. Cities stimulate innovation and increase productivity by concentrating resources and specialists. However, rapid population growth creates problems: housing shortages, traffic congestion, pollution, and pressure on water and energy resources. Social inequality can also increase. In many places, rapid urbanization is associated with the emergence of slums and an increasing number of people living in inadequate housing conditions and without legal security. Thus, urbanization requires balanced policies that will harness its economic and social potential while minimizing environmental and societal risks.
According to the report, between 1975 and 2025, the area of built-up and populated land increased almost twice as fast as the global population. Furthermore, cities, towns, and rural areas are closely interconnected. Approximately 60 percent of the land converted to urban areas since 1970 was previously used as productive agricultural land. Effective urban policies in housing, transportation, and services can reduce pressure on large cities and promote balanced development. Bridging the gap between urban and rural areas requires investment in infrastructure and support for farmers and small towns.
Global trends
In 1950, urban living was relatively rare: only 20 percent of the world's 2.5 billion people lived in cities—population centers with at least 50,000 people and a population density of at least 1,500 people per square kilometer. After decades of urbanization, by 2025, cities will be home to 45 percent of the world's 8.2 billion people.
The share of the world's population living in small towns and urban settlements – places with at least 5,000 people and a density of at least 300 people per square kilometre – has gradually declined from 40 percent in 1950 to 36 percent in 2025.
Rural areas are characterized by lower population densities than cities. Today, less than 20 percent of the world's population lives in them—half the number in the mid-20th century.
Meanwhile, the number of megacities—urban agglomerations with populations over 10 million—has quadrupled, from eight in 1975 to 33 in 2025. More than half of these are in Asia. Jakarta, Indonesia, leads the world in population (almost 42 million), followed by Dhaka, Bangladesh (around 40 million), and Tokyo, Japan (33 million). The only non-Asian city in the top ten remains Cairo, Egypt.
However, the report's authors emphasize that the majority of urban growth is occurring outside megacities. More than 96 percent of all cities worldwide have fewer than a million residents, and most of them are growing faster than the largest metropolitan areas.
India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Bangladesh and Ethiopia are collectively expected to add more than 500 million urban residents between 2025 and 2050, accounting for more than half of the projected global urban population increase of 986 million over that period.
Moscow is among the largest megacities
Moscow, Europe's largest city, is among the world's megacities examined in the report. According to the report, the Russian capital saw its population grow by more than 3 million residents between 2000 and 2025. Today, Moscow ranks 20th among the world's largest megacities, with a population of 14.5 million. By 2050, the city is projected to have 15.5 million residents.
At the same time, in Russia as a whole, many cities continued to grow even against the backdrop of a general decline in the country's population.
Central Asia: Urban population growth
Urban development is being recorded in Central Asian countries. The region is distinguished by a high proportion of the population living in small towns and urban settlements. However, the report's authors predict a decline in this figure due to the growing share of large cities.
In Kazakhstan, the share of the population living in large cities is projected to increase from 45.3 percent in 2025 to 51 percent in 2050. Currently, 22.4 percent of the country lives in rural areas, and 32.2 percent live in small towns and urban-type settlements.
In Kyrgyzstan, 23.1 percent of the population lives in rural areas, while 35.5 percent lives in towns and other urbanized settlements. The share of residents living in large cities is projected to increase from 35.5 percent in 2025 to 43.4 percent by 2050.
In Tajikistan, over 51 percent of the population lives in urban settlements outside major cities. Rural residents account for 15.5 percent. The share of the population living in major cities is projected to increase from 33.3 percent in 2025 to 46.8 percent in 2050. Nearly 90 percent of residents are projected to live in urban areas.
In Turkmenistan, the urban population accounted for 32.5 percent in 2025 and is projected to increase to 37.8 percent by 2050. Currently, 21.7 percent of the country's population lives in rural areas, and 45.8 percent in small towns and urban settlements.
Meanwhile, in Uzbekistan, the urban population will increase from 43.8 percent to 54.6 percent over the next 25 years. Currently, 43.3 percent of the country's population lives in small towns, while 12.8 percent lives in villages. By 2050, the rural population will be less than 9 percent.
Ubrenization in Europe
In Europe, developed urban systems and vast rural areas coexist. In a number of countries in the region, rural settlements remain the most common settlement pattern. These countries include Austria, Bulgaria, Poland, France, Finland, and Romania. In these countries, despite the general European trend toward urbanization, the majority of the population continues to live in rural areas.
Ukraine stands out as a country that lost more than one million urban residents between 2000 and 2025. According to the report, virtually all Ukrainian cities experienced population declines between 2015 and 2025, which the report's authors attribute to the humanitarian crisis.
