UN Report: 81% of Global Population Now Lives in Urban Areas, Villages Shrink

New Delhi: The United Nations (UN) has revealed in its latest report that the world has become predominantly urban, with 81% of the global population now residing in cities. This marks a significant rise from 2018, when only 55% of people lived in urban areas, highlighting the rapid pace of urbanization.

Urban Population Set to Rise Further by 2050
According to the UN’s World Urbanization Prospects 2025 report, 45% of the urban population now lives in large cities, while 36% resides in towns. Consequently, the population living exclusively in villages has dwindled to just 19%. Projections indicate that by 2050, around 83% of the world’s population will live in urban areas.

Key Drivers of Urbanization
The report identifies two main reasons behind this urban shift:

1. Mass Migration: Millions of people are moving to cities in search of better education and employment opportunities, a trend particularly visible in South Asian countries like India.
2. Village Development: Many smaller villages have gradually transformed into towns and cities due to development and population growth.

The UN report defines urban areas as regions with a minimum population of 50,000 and a population density of at least 1,500 people per square kilometer.

Densely Populated Cities Worldwide
The report also lists some of the world’s most densely populated cities, including Mumbai, Surat, Ahmedabad, and Bengaluru in India; Karachi in Pakistan; Kasai, Beni, and Kinshasa in Congo; Tamaar in Hong Kong; and Mogadishu in Somalia.

As global urbanization accelerates, policymakers face the challenge of ensuring sustainable development while addressing the needs of the rapidly growing urban population.