Urban Growth Projections (DP IB Geography)
Revision Note
Written by: Bridgette Barrett
Reviewed by: Jenna Quinn
Regional Patterns of Urban Growth
By 2050, it is estimated that 68% of the world's population will live in cities
This has more than doubled since 1960, when it was 33%
The countries with the highest proportion of people living in urban areas are mainly HICs, with many countries having over 80% of people living in urban areas
Middle-income countries have between 40% and 70% of people living in rural areas
The proportion of people living in urban areas in these countries is increasing at the fastest rate
Future trends
It is predicted that Asia will experience the largest growth in urban population
Cities in Sub-Saharan Africa will experience increased birth rates and rural-urban migration leading to rapid urban growth
Lagos, Nigeria, is already the eighth fastest-growing city in the world
The rate of growth of cities in North America and Europe will slow
Trends of Rural-Urban Migration
Globally, rural-urban migration accounts for 40% of urban growth
Rural-urban migration happens in all countries but the greatest levels of rural-urban migration are occurring in MICs and LICs
In these countries, approximately 60% of urban growth is due to rural-urban migration
People are migrating to urban areas due to pull factors, including:
More and better jobs
Educational opportunities
Better access to healthcare
The impacts of rural-urban migration include:
Declining population in rural areas
Economic growth in urban areas
Increased pressure on housing and services in urban areas
Rural-urban migration in Kenya
More than 250 000 people a year move from rural Kenya to towns and cities like Nairobi
Most migrants are young people, often men
Causes of Rural-Urban Migration
Rural-urban migration in Kenya has a number of causes:
Loss of land: commercial farms taking over best farmland
Low productivity of land due to soil erosion and desertification
Poor access to healthcare and education services
Increasing frequency of drought
Lack of clean water
Impacts of Rural-Urban Migration
Ageing populations in rural areas
Lack of skills
Reduced productivity as the elderly and children are not able to farm as effectively
Birth rates decline
Rural area development falls further behind urban areas
Changing Population Sizes & Structures
Population growth in LIC and MIC cities is rapid, particularly in Asia and Africa
Rural-urban migration is dominated by younger age groups, which leads to
High birth rates
Pressure on jobs and services
A reduced dependency ratio
In Lagos, Nigeria the largest age groups are:
Young children age 0 to 4 years
Young adults age 20 to 29 years
The rate of population growth in HIC cities is slowing
This leads to:
Lower birth rates
A higher dependency ratio
In Tokyo, Japan the largest age groups are:
Older adults between 45 and 50
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