The world’s
largest cities have increased in number and location. According to a new report from
the United Nations Human Settlements Programme there were 29 megacities—those
with more than 10 million people—in 2015, compared to just 14 in 1995.
And 79% of them
were in the developing world, in Asia, Latin America, and Africa. It’s “an
indication that the centre of gravity of the urban world is moving to
developing countries,” the report says.
Among the
world’s megacities, two are in sub-Saharan Africa: Lagos in Nigeria and
Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo are on the list. Johannesburg,
South Africa, with a population that’s expected to reach 11 million by 2025, is
soon to join.
The world’s 600
largest cities account for 60% of global GDP. This figure will stay the same
over the next decade, according to the report, but more of these cities will be
in the developing world and are expected to play a larger role in the global
economy. Besides prompting higher economic growth, through consumption and
innovation, cities also encourage diversity through the co-mingling of
different groups, the UN adds.
Yet, the rate of
urbanization for a continent like Africa is both promising and troubling. As
rural residents move to cities for work or in some cases to escape conflict,
Africa has seen its urban population more than double in 20 years to 360 million
last year. According to UN figures, that’s the fastest rate of any continent or
region.
So far, few countries are
prepared to provide the housing, social services, and jobs needed for this
ongoing population boom. In Africa, 38% of the urban population is living in
slums, more than at any other point in the last two decades, according to the
UN.
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