City Population, Urban Population

City populations or urban populations are residents of cities, towns and urban areas such as suburbs or shanty towns comprises. In general a country’s population is divided into an urban or city-dwelling population and a rural or countryside population.

City populations or urban populations are residents of cities, towns and urban areas such as suburbs or shanty towns comprises. In general a country’s population is divided into an urban or city-dwelling population and a rural or countryside population.

City Population Trends

The industrial revolution in Europe in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century initiated the process of mass urbanization. The evolution of industries generated large-scale employment with guaranteed wages. In 1910, the UK became the first nation to have more than 50% of its population living in cities. Urbanization peaked in the US in the 1920s, but was witnessed in many Asian nations only after the 1950s. Global urbanization trends have led to high concentration of population and economic activity in a few areas. In the 1990s, most developed nations were facing the problem of over population in the urban areas.

Causes: In the US, employment opportunities and higher standards of living worked as catalysts for massive urban migration. In developing nations, urban migration accelerated due to the poor quality of life and inaccessibility to basic necessities in the rural areas. This trend was fueled by the opportunity to earn ‘fast money’ through wages and salaries, instead of “slow money” from seasonal agricultural sales.

Problems: The lack of civic amenities is the most prominent problem confronted by populous cities. Unregulated urban migration leads to the problem of slums (unsanitary squatter settlements) where people live in unhygienic conditions. Growing unemployment (due to large scale migration) is the cause of violence and criminal activities. Congested roads and environmental degradation are also rampant in over populated cities.

City Population: Trends around the World

A United Nations report published in 2007 indicated that about half of the world’s population is living in towns and cities. The organization expects urban population to grow tremendously in the developing nations of Asia, Africa and Latin America over the forthcoming decades. Developing nations face the risk of agglomeration due to this process. As per 2006 estimates, the ten most populated cities in the world are:

• Tokyo, Japan
• Mexico City, Mexico
• New York City, US
• Mumbai (Bombay), India
• São Paulo, Brazil
• Delhi, India
• Shanghai, China
• Kolkata (Calcutta), India
• Jakarta, Indonesia
• Dhaka, Bangladesh