Since over half of the world’s population has shifted to the cities, it is expected that urban tenants will be seen living in the megacities in the coming years. A megacity is a term that refers to an urban area where population size exceeds 10 million people. As a matter of fact, the 20 cities mentioned in the infographic below having the largest population are all, in other words, megacities.
The world has experienced rapid urbanization in the 21st century, and hence, over 80% of people in developed and rich countries reside in urban areas whereas, about 50-80% of people from upper-middle-income countries are urban dwellers. The main reason for rural to urban migration is better job opportunities with higher salaries in cities than in rural areas.
According to the graphic, Tokyo is currently the most populous city in the world, with more than 37 million people; however, the number is observed to be leveling out because of the controlled birth rates and a large aging population. Tokyo is followed by Delhi, India’s capital, on the second rank, having a population of 30+ million people. China’s largest city, Shanghai, settles on third and is home to over 27 million people.
Indian and Chinese cities are expected to see a massive increase in the population in the coming years; in fact, the population of Delhi is projected to surpass Tokyo’s population by the year 2028. On the other hand, a long term prediction is made for the year 2035, where two new cities could make it to the top 20 largest cities in terms of population, Lahore (Pakistan) and Bangalore (India). Moreover, some cities that can be called “megacities” by 2035 include Shenzhen, Chennai, and Guangzhou.
Infographic by: Visualcapitalist.com
