VOL. 66, NO. 5 - aafi-afics - UNOG

Table 1 – Total population and the rate of urbanization on the different continents1950 2007 2030Total population(in millions)North America 172 339 405Latin America and the Caribbean 167 572 713Europe 547 731 707Oceania 13 34 43Africa 221 965 1 518Asia 1 398 4 030 4 931Total 2 535 6 671 8 317Rate of urbanization (in %)(proportion of the population living in towns)North America 64 81 87Latin America and the Caribbean 42 78 85Europe 51 74 80Oceania 61 73 75Africa 15 41 54Asia 15 41 55Total 29 50 61Note :The figures shown for 2030 are those of the median estimates of the United NationsAccording to estimates of the United Nations, 20 urban agglomerations had over 10 million inhabitants in2005. While the largest, Tokyo, is situated in a developed country, the majority are in developing regions(Table 2). China and India, where the degree of urbanization is less than the average for developingcountries, have, respectively, two and three of the largest cities of the world: Shanghai and Beijing, on theone hand, and Bombay, New Delhi and Calcutta on the other.Table 2 – Urban agglomerations of over 10 million inhabitants in 1975 and 2005 and forecasts for 2015(in millions)1975 2005 2015 (projections)Tokyo 26,6 Tokyo 35,2 Tokyo 35,5New York 15,9 Mexico 19,4 Bombay 21,9Mexico 10,7 New York 18,7 Mexico 21,6São Paulo 18,3 São Paulo 20,5Bombay 18,2 New York 19,9New Delhi 15,0 New Delhi 18,6Shanghai 14,5 Shanghai 17,2Calcutta 14,3 Calcutta 17,0Jakarta 13,2 Dhaka 16,8Buenos Aires 12,6 Jakarta 16,8Dhaka 12,4 Lagos 16,1Los Angeles 12,3 Karachi 15,2Karachi 11,7 Buenos Aires 13,4Rio de Janeiro 11,5 Cairo 13,1Osaka-Kobe 11,3 Los Angeles 13,1Cairo 11,1 Manilla 12,9Lagos 10,9 Beijing 12,8Beijing 10,8 Rio de Janeiro 12,8Manilla 10,7 Osaka-Kobe 11,3Moscow 10,7 Istanbul 11,2Moscow 11,0Guangzhou 10,444