27. July 2007
The State of World Population 2007: Unleashing the Potential of Urban Growth
Humanity will have to undergo a “revolution in thinking” in order to deal with the doubling of urban populations in Africa and Asia by 2030, warns UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund.
Over 30 years, the population of African and Asian cities will double, adding 1.7 billion people—more than the populations of China and the United States combined.
According to the report, as of 2008, more than half the world’s current 6.7 billion people will live in cities. Though mega-cities (more than 10 million people) will continue to grow, most people will be living in cities of 500,000 or fewer.
By 2030, the urban population will rise to 5 billion, or 60 per cent of world population. Globally, all future population growth will take place in cities, nearly all of it in Asia, Africa and Latin America. In Asia and Africa, this marks a decisive shift from rural to urban growth, changing a balance that has lasted for millennia.
The State of World Population 2007 reports that, although most new urbanites will be poor, they must be part of the solution. Assisting them to meet their needs—for housing, health care, education and employment—could also unleash the potential of urban-dwellers to power economic growth.
A full media kit for The State of World Population 2007 report is available at www.unfpa.org/swp
Source: UNFPA
The German edition of the Report can be ordered via SWI Austria, info@swi-austria.org">info@swi-austria.org, 01 585 7699