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In order to find work and public services such as health care and education, millions of people are flocking to the world's cities in unprecedented numbers--about 1 million per week.
This trend, called "urbanization," is nothing new. It occurred throughout Europe during the industrial revolution of the 18th and 19th centuries. What is new is that today's urbanization is not being accompanied by enough economic growth to accommodate it. Consequently, the world's slums are expanding, and poor families are increasingly struggling to get by in the midst of meager incomes, a lack of housing and a lack of options.
The United Nations estimates that today's urban population of about 2.8 billion will nearly double by 2025--with 95 percent of that growth occurring in developing countries.
Following are some of the world's largest cities in 2005, as well as the projected population growth for what will be the largest cities in 2015.
| 2005 |
|
 |
2015 |
|
| Tokyo, Japan |
35.3 |
|
Tokyo, Japan |
36.2 |
| Mexico City, Mexico |
19.0 |
|
Mumbai (Bombay), India |
22.6 |
| New York-Newark, USA |
18.5 |
|
Delhi, India |
20.9 |
| Mumbai (Bombay), India |
18.3 |
|
Mexico City, Mexico |
20.6 |
| Sao Paulo, Brazil |
18.3 |
|
Sao Paulo, Brazil |
20.0 |
| Delhi, India |
15.3 |
|
New York-Newark, USA |
19.7 |
| Calcutta, India |
14.3 |
|
Dhaka, Bangladesh |
17.9 |
| Buenos Aires, Argentina |
13.3 |
|
Jakarta, Indonesia |
17.5 |
| Jakarta, Indonesia |
13.2 |
|
Lagos, Nigeria |
17.0 |
| Shanghai, China |
12.7 |
|
Calcutta, India |
16.8 |
Population figures above in millions.
Source: United Nations report "World Urbanization Prospects: The 2003 Revision"
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