The World : ‘Urban Planet’ Forecast

By the year 2000, almost half the world’s population will be living in overcrowded cities, a report by the U.N. Fund for Population Activities said. Noting that the urban population of developing countries is growing several times faster than the rural population, it said this will transform the world “into a predominantly urban planet.” The report also predicted that by the end of the century, the world’s population will grow to about 6.1 billion from its present 4.8 billion. Mexico City, the world’s largest city with 18.1 million people, is expected to have 26.3 million inhabitants, closely followed by Sao Paulo, Brazil, with 24 million people. The report said people move to urban areas because of higher wages, better employment opportunities and prospects for social mobility.