Boasting 100,000 residents over the age of 55, The Villages may be the fastest growing city in America. It's a notorious boomtown for boomers who want to spend their golden years with access to 11 Kuwait, Libya, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates have registered population growth rates exceeding 3.5 percent in recent years, while Bahrain, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Lebanon, and Tunisia have recorded rates below the 2 percent average of the developing countries. The deepening political divide in the U.S. and an apparent realignment of the world order through President Trump's foreign policy have prompted many comparisons to the fall of the Roman Empire. But can we really look back at ancient civilisations and draw parallels with those that exist today? Sources estimate this will grow to 2/3 of world population in the next 15-30 years. More than half of urban dwellers live in the 1,022 cities with greater than 500,000 inhabitants. There are currently 29 megacities with populations of over 10 million, up from 2 in 1950 and projected to grow to between 41 and 53 by 2030. Disclaimer: This web site contains data tables, figures, maps, analyses and technical notes from the 2018 Revision of the World Urbanization Prospects. These documents do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation ONW7X. Fastest-Growing Places in the in 2023-2024The fastest-growing cities in the country are determined by the net migration of each metro area, which is measured by the growth or decline of the population over the past five years. The percent increase in that period of time is how News determines the metro areas where the most people are moving. For more information on how we rank, read the Best Places to Live methodology. SummaryMyrtle Beach, SCSarasota, FLFort Myers, FLLakeland, FLPort St. Lucie, FLBoise, IDOcala, FLView All 17 Photos Although it's better known to outsiders as a vacation hot spot for beachgoers and golfers, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina... Read MoreOverall ScoreQuality of of LifeOverall of All 22 Photos Sarasota has a distinct vibe that’s different from Florida’s relative coastal cities, with its own vibrant arts scene... Read MoreOverall ScoreQuality of of LifeOverall of All 27 Photos Situated between Tampa and Miami on Florida’s Gulf Coast, Fort Myers is a growing city. The “City of Palms” has long... Read MoreOverall ScoreQuality of of LifeOverall of All 25 Photos Aptly named for its 38 stunning lakes, Lakeland is infused with Old Florida history and natural beauty. Remnants of... Read MoreOverall ScoreQuality of of LifeOverall of All 25 Photos Port St. Lucie is nestled along Florida's Treasure Coast, on the state's southeast side, about halfway between Miami and... Read MoreOverall ScoreQuality of of LifeOverall of All 21 Photos Boise is a recreationalist's paradise. If you value the outdoors and time spent among rivers, mountains, canyons... Read MoreOverall ScoreQuality of of LifeOverall of All 52 Photos Known as the “Horse Capital of the World,” Ocala maintains deep equestrian roots even as the area evolves into a diverse... Read MoreOverall ScoreQuality of of LifeOverall of All 19 Photos The Daytona Beach population swells and wanes like the ocean tide. Every winter, the region's beaches overflow with... Read MoreOverall ScoreQuality of of LifeOverall of All 58 Photos Nestled between the edges of the Everglades and the shores of the Gulf of Mexico sits Collier County, home to Naples... Read MoreOverall ScoreQuality of of LifeOverall of All 45 Photos While Salisbury continues to grow as the hub of the Salisbury, Maryland-Delaware metropolitan area, it has never lost... Read MoreOverall ScoreQuality of of LifeOverall of A surprise slow or no growth We get so used to discussions on fast-growing cities that perhaps we forget to look at slow growing cities. Of the 1860 cities included in the United Nations database for 2000 to 2020, 107 had populations that were not growing or were indeed declining, and 311 had population growth rates between and a year. The cities recording the largest absolute declines in population in these two decades were Detroit, Khulna and, tragically, Aleppo. The data for Khulna is also a bit suspect; perhaps the statistics are for Khulna division, not Khulna urban agglomeration? Which cities are included in the analysis? Any list of the fastest growing cities is going to be heavily influenced by which cities get included in the analysis. Table 1 draws from the UN Population Division’s database, which includes all cities that had 300,000 or more inhabitants in 2018. By 2020, only one of the cities Malappuram in India had reached a million inhabitants. If the list of the fastest growing cities from 2000 to 2020 included cities with one million or more inhabitants in 2020, only Malappuram among the cities in table 1 would feature – the others and all other cities with 300,000 to one million inhabitants would be cut out of the analysis. The world’s largest cities never appear in lists of the world’s most rapidly growing cities when their growth is measured by population growth rates – although they inevitably did when they were smaller. The larger a city’s population at the beginning of any period for which population growth rates are being calculated, the larger the denominator used to divide the increment in the city’s population. Thus, it is not surprising that most of the cities in table 1 had relatively small populations in 2000. All had less than a million inhabitants; eight had less than 100,000. When reviewing inter-census changes in population for all urban centres in a country, there are often small cities with very rapid population growth rates for one or two census periods – much more rapid than the cities in table 1. For instance, three cities in Kenya had annual average population growth rates of 13% or more between 1989 and 2009 Kiambu, Ngong and Ruiru. This means that their populations increased more than tenfold in these two decades. But most do not sustain this very rapid growth; if they did they would become large cities. Or get absorbed into large cities that are expanding – all three fast growing cities mentioned above are close to Nairobi. A very large city of 15 million is not going to grow tenfold in two decades. But some very large cities have doubled, or close to doubled, their population in the last two decades, including Delhi, Shanghai, Dhaka and Beijing. Cities with the largest increment in population However, if we consider the absolute number of people added to city populations each year, many of the largest cities figure prominently as the most rapidly growing cities. The scale of their population increment is astonishing Delhi getting an average of 730,000 new residents a year over these 20 years; Shanghai with 641,000; Dhaka with 536,000; Beijing with 509,000 per year; Sao Paulo with a slow population growth rate a year over 20 years yet still with a quarter of a million more persons a year. Very large cities with more people moving out than moving in during 2000-2020 still had large annual average increments in their populations because of their very large size and rate of natural increase. However, some caution is needed when comparing increments in population between cities, because boundary extensions or changing city or metropolitan government systems which produce different boundaries often include large populations that were not previously considered part of that city. My blogs to date, including this one, have focused on cities and mostly large cities. The next blog will look at the size of the world’s urban population, the scale of its growth and how its distribution between regions and between countries categorised by their per capita income has changed. Read Asia’s fastest growing cities… and why these are mostly small cities by David Satterthwaite 2023 Kinshasa, DRC, Africa’s most populous city. Image Alexandra Tyukavina/Shutterstock By 2050, 68 per cent of the world population is projected to live in urban areas. Here are the world’s 10 fastest growing cities by population All across the world, urban areas are expanding and their populations growing. By 2050, two out of every three people are likely to be living in cities or other urban centres. India, China and Nigeria stand at the forefront of this rise, projected to account for 35 per cent of the growth of the world’s urban population between 2018 and 2050. Here, we take look at the fastest growing urban centres by population not including cities with fewer than 300,000 inhabitants, as predicted by the UN for the years 2020-2025. Of the 20 fastest growing, 15 are predicted to be located in Africa. Another four are in Asia and one is in the Middle East. In Europe, the city with the fastest growing population is Balashikha in Russia with a growth rate of 2 per cent, but overall, the continent is the only one likely to see a decrease in population by 2025 10 Fastest Growing Urban Centres By Population Gwagwalada, Nigeria + Population estimate 2020 410,000 • 2025 566,000 Since Nigeria’s seat of government was relocated from Lagos to Abuja in 1991, Gwagwalada, 45 kilometres southeast of the capital, has experienced a massive influx of people. It is projected to have the largest increase in population on the African continent, and is the fastest growing urban centre in the world. Enjoying this article? We have thousands more for you. Get immediate access to over 1,000 Geographical magazines in our archive back to 1935. Sign up today and you will soon be travelling back through time reading all our amazing features of the last eight decades PLUS... you also get to enjoy every new issue of Geographical each month going forward in both print and digital press the button below to choose the perfect package for you. Kabinda, DRC + Population estimate 2020 466,000 • 2025 640,000 Kabinda is the capital city of Lomami Province, in a remote part of the south-central Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is located around 100 kilometres east of Mbuji-Mayi, the second largest city in the country after the capital Kinshasa. The surrounding area is one of the richest mineral sources in the world and produces one-tenth in weight of the world’s industrial diamonds. Continental changes When it comes to population growth as a whole, Africa is predicted to grow the most by 2025, compared to Asia South America Central America North America and Oceania Europe is the only continent predicted to decrease Rupganj, Bangladesh + Population estimate 2020 482,000 • 2025 662,000 The third fastest growing city is Rupganj, an upazila sub-district’ in Bengali of the Narayanganj District in central Bangladesh. Narayanganj is an industrial hub that plays an important role in the country’s jute trade jute is a natural fibre extracted from the bark of the jute vegetable plant. It’s also the historic home of the production of jamdani, a fine muslin textile woven from cotton and gold threads, which is used for making saris. Handloom weavers creating jamdani muslin in Rupganj. Image Sk Hasan Ali/Shutterstock Lokoja, Nigeria + Population estimate 2020 692,000 • 2025 931,000 Lokoja is a river port on the west bank of the Niger River in south-central Nigeria. The present day city was founded by Scottish explorer William Balfour Baikie in 1857, but for hundreds of years prior the area had been home to different ethnic groups, including the Yoruba people. The modern city is an important trading port for cotton, leather, and palm oil and kernels. Locally produced yams, corn, beans, fish and shea nuts are also sold at the large markets here. A meat vendor in Lokoja, Nigeria. Image Tayvay/Shutterstock Uige, Angola + Population estimate 2020 511,000 • 2025 687,000 Between 1945 and the mid-1950s, Uige grew from a small market town in northwestern Angola to the country’s major centre for coffee production. First settled by Portuguese colonists, the town was renamed in 1955 to Carmona, after the former Portuguese President Óscar Carmona. Following the start of the Angolan civil war in 1975 however, when the settlers fled, the city’s name was changed back to Uige. The main street in Uige, Angola. Image Paulo César Santos New megacities There are currently 35 megacities those with a population of more than 10 million, with eight more expected to join the ranks by 2030, all but one of which London are in developing countries. It has been 200 years since Britain’s capital was the most populous place on the planet, but after a period of decline in the second half of the 20th century, it is once again growing fast. Bujumbura, Burundi + Population estimate 2020 1,013,000 • 2025 1,350,000 The former capital of Burundi, Bujumbura is also the country’s main port, located at the northeastern corner of Lake Tanganyika. Most of Burundi’s foreign trade flows through here on its way to and from Kigoma in neighbouring Tanzania. Bujumbura was the capital of Burundi until 2019, when the parliament voted to move the seat of government back to the historic capital of Gitega. Bujumbura’s industry specialises in textiles, leather, paper, chemicals, and agricultural products. Image Shutterstock Songea, Tanzania + Population estimate 2020 353,000 • 2025 470,000 Between 1905 and 1907, Songea was the centre of African resistance during the Maji Maji Rebellion in German East Africa, and is named after a Ngoni warrior who was executed during the German repressions. Now the capital of the Ruvuma region in southeastern Tanzania, the city is predicted to experience significant economic growth as a result of the Mtwara Development Corridor – a major infrastructure development project designed to provide road, rail, and waterway links between Tanzania, Mozambique, Malawi and Zambia, and the Port of Mtwara in southern Tanzania. Xiong’an, China + Population estimate 2020 970,000 • 2025 1,289,000 Xiong’an New Area, is it is officially called, was established in 2017 about 100 kilometres southwest of Beijing and covers three counties, Xiong, Rongcheng and Anxin. Its main purpose was to serve as a development hub for the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei or Jing-jin-ji economic triangle, making room for the new companies and institutions that are currently struggling to find room in the overcrowded capital. So far, investment in China’s City of the Future’ is estimated to exceed 700 billion yuan £88 billion. China Geological Survey drills deep wells to use thermal energy for Xiong’an New Area, China. Image James Jiao/Shutterstock We’re used to hearing about the biggest cities in the world, particularly the vast populations of Beijing and Tokyo, but these giants don’t paint the whole picture. Only one of the top 20 fastest growing cities is in China, reflecting a slowdown in the country’s population growth though it is still growing. Instead, the majority are in Africa 17 out of the top 20, with four in Nigeria. This is partly due to a high birth rate. According to the World Bank, the 2019 fertility rate births per woman in Sub-Saharan Africa was compared to the global fertility rate of Migration to urban centres also plays a role. Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar + Population estimate 2020 594,000 • 2025 788,000 Nay Pyi Taw, which means Abode of Kings’ in Burmese, is the capital city of Myanmar and the country’s third largest city. It replaced Yangon, the former capital, in 2005. Despite being the seat of the government and site of the Union Parliament, the Supreme Court, and the Presidential Palace, Nay Pyi Taw has a relatively low population density. This is expected to change however. Stay connected with the Geographical newsletter! In these turbulent times, we’re committed to telling expansive stories from across the globe, highlighting the everyday lives of normal but extraordinary people. Stay informed and engaged with Geographical. Get Geographical’s latest news delivered straight to your inbox every Friday! Uppatasanti Pagoda, Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar. Image Aung Myat/Shutterstock Potiskum, Nigeria + Population estimate 2020 426,000 • 2025 565,000 Potiskum is a city district in Yobe State, northeastern Nigeria. It’s notable for its cattle market, one of the largest in Africa and the largest in West Africa, as well as a thriving grain and millet trade. 10 new megacities According to the UN, the world could have 43 megacities by 2030. Two of the 10 cities that were projected to become megacities between 2018 and 2030 have already reached 10 million inhabitants Kinshasa and Hyderabad. Nine of the 10 cities are located in developing countries. Kinshasa, DRC, Current population estimate million • 2030 millionHyderabad, India, Current population estimate million • 2030 millionLuanda, Angola, Current population estimate million • 2030 million Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Current population estimate 9 million • 2030 11 millionNanjing, China, Current population estimate million • 2030 11 millionDar es Salaam, Tanzania, Current population estimate million • 2030 millionChengdu, China, Current population estimate million • 2030 millionAhmedabad, India, Current population estimate million • 2030 millionTehran, Iran, Current population estimate million • 2030 millionLondon, UK, Current population estimate million • 2030 million US Markets Loading... H M S The most rapidly-growing cities are all located in Africa. Carolyn Kaster/AP The world's projected fastest-growing cities based on UN population estimates are all in United Nations publishes annual population projections for future years, and we looked at the cities with the biggest projected growth by the fastest-growing cities are three cities located in Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Loading Something is loading. Thanks for signing up! Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. The world population is expected to grow to billion in 2030, and African metro areas are leading this to a 2017 UN press release, population growth will mainly occur in nine countries, including five African countries — Tanzania, Congo, Uganda, Nigeria, and Ethiopia. The 15 fastest-growing cities, all located in Africa, are projected to almost double their populations by is growing so quickly because of its increasingly large young population, the highest of any continent. Over 75% of its population is younger than 35, according to the United Nations Office on the Special Adviser of United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs publishes population estimates using data from national censuses and specialized population surveys. We examined the cities that are projected to most rapidly grow in size over the next 15 years among urban areas that had at least 300,000 residents as of 2018 based on the UN's projections of 2020 and 2035 city populations. Here are the 15 fastest-growing global cities and their expected change in population 15. Lilongwe, Malawi, has an estimated 2020 population of 1,122,000 and is projected to grow by 97% to 2,210,000 in 2035. Carolyn Kaster/AP 14. Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, has an estimated 2020 population of 2,780,000 and is projected to grow by 97% to 5,481,000 in 2035. Luc Gnago/Reuters 13. Uige, Angola, has an estimated 2020 population of 511,000 and is projected to grow by 98% to 1,013,000 in 2035. Florence Panoussian/Getty Images 12. Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, has an estimated 2020 population of 972,000 and is projected to grow by 100% to 1,940,000 in 2035. Local residents watch the riders pass by during the third stage of the 22nd Tour du Faso cycling race in Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso. Christophe Ena/AP 11. Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, has an estimated 2020 population of 6,702,000 and is projected to grow by 100% to 13,383,000 in 2035. Emmanuel Herman/Reuters 10. Tete, Mozambique, has an estimated 2020 population of 371,000 and is projected to grow by 101% to 744,000 in 2035. Goran Tomasevic/Reuters 9. Niamey, Niger, has an estimated 2020 population of 1,292,000 and is projected to grow by 101% to 2,600,000 in 2035. An electoral official speaks to voters waiting at a polling station that opened late during the country's presidential and legislative elections in Niamey, Niger. Joe Penney/Reuters 8. Bunia, Congo, has an estimated 2020 population of 679,000 and is projected to grow by 101% to 1,368,000 in 2035. Goran Tomasevic/Reuters 7. Gwagwalada, Nigeria, has an estimated 2020 population of 410,000 and is projected to grow by 102% to 827,000 in 2035. Former first lady Laura Bush visits Saint Mary's Hospital in Gwagwalada. Charles Dharapak/AP 6. Mwanza, Tanzania, has an estimated 2020 population of 1,120,000 and is projected to grow by 102% to 2,267,000 in 2035. Danita Delmont/Shutterstock 5. Songea, Tanzania, has an estimated 2020 population of 353,000 and is projected to grow by 110% to 740,000 in 2035. Songea Municipal Council 4. Kabinda, Congo, has an estimated 2020 population of 466,000 and is projected to grow by 110% to 979,000 in 2035. Christine Nesbitt/AP 3. Kampala, Uganda, has an estimated 2020 population of 3,928,000 and is projected to grow by 112% to 7,004,000 in 2035. James Akrena/Reuters 2. Zinder, Niger, has an estimated 2020 population of 489,000 and is projected to grow by 118% to 1,065,000 in 2035. StreetVJ/Shutterstock 1. Bujumbura, Burundi, has an estimated 2020 population of 1,013,000 and is projected to grow by 123% to 2,263,000 in 2035. Christopher Morley-Pegge/Shutterstock Read next Features Population Growth United Nations Cities around the world are growing rapidly. About 55% of the world’s population lives in urban areas a number expected to rise to 68% by 2050. This increase is attributed to several factors. Cities, in general, offer better economic opportunities with larger job markets, better salaries and wages, and higher individual wealth. Education tends to be better in cities, where schools are more likely to have qualified teachers, have more resources, and have higher student-to-teacher ratios. Cities are also typically better equipped with services and resources for their residents. Cities across Asia and Africa are seeing the fastest growth, as dozens of people per hour are migrating to major urban centers. The ten fastest-growing cities in the world, by the percentage of growth from 2015 to 2020, are Malappuram, India 44% Can Tho, Vietnam 37% Suqian, China 37% Kozhikode, India 35% Abuja, Nigeria 34% Suzhou, China 33% Sharjah, United Arab Emirates 32% Putian, China 32% Muscat, Oman 31% Kollam, India 31% The list looks slightly different when ranked by the number of new people per hour from 2015 to 2020. According to the United Nations World Urbanization Prospects, the ten fastest-growing cities based on the number of new people per hour are Delhi, India Shanghai, China Dhaka, Bangladesh Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo Chongqing, China Lahore, Pakistan Bangalore, India Lagos, Nigeria Cairo, Egypt Beijing, China According to the United Nations, India, China, and Nigeria will account for 35% of the projected growth of the world’s urban population between 2018 and 2050. Currently, the most urbanized regions of the world as of 2018 are North America, where 82% of people live in urban areas; Latin America and the Caribbean, 81%, Europe 74%, and Oceania 68%. Despite Africa and Asia having the lowest percentage of people living in urban areas, with 43% and 50% respectively, the two continents are expected to see the most rapid growth in the next few decades. Many cities around the world are growing too fast. The issue with such rapid growth is many cities do not have the infrastructure to support the rapid influx of residents. For example, in Lagos, Nigeria, the city’s services have been stretched extremely thin to where less than 10% of people are living in homes with sewer connections and less than 20% of people have access to tap water. Many homes are in slums and informal settlements on the outskirts of the city. Despite this, Lagos is still expected to grow exponentially over the next 30 years. Sustainable urbanization is the key to successful development. Urban growth management is especially key in low- and middle-income countries where the growth is expected to be the greatest. Countries will need to anticipate the increased need for housing, energy system, transportation, and other infrastructure, as well as education and healthcare. Governments will need to consider new policies to ensure access to these needs as urban areas Growing Cities in the World 2023

the major cities in the world are growing fast