Urbanization
Ranked: The World’s Fastest Growing Cities
Ranked: The World’s Fastest Growing Cities
By 2025, the world’s population will reach over 8.1 billion people.
Most of that population growth will be concentrated in cities across Africa and Asia. To help paint a detailed picture, this map uses data from the United Nations to rank the top 20 fastest growing cities in the world in terms of average annual growth rate from 2020 to 2025.
Full Speed Ahead
The majority of the world’s fastest growing cities are located in Africa—in fact, 17 of the 20 are located on the continent, with four of the 20 cities being located in Nigeria specifically.
Population growth is booming across the entire continent, as many countries retain high birth rates. According to the World Bank, the 2019 fertility rate (births per woman) in Sub-Saharan Africa was 4.6, compared to the global fertility rate of 2.4.
City | Country | Continent | Annual Growth (2020-2025p) |
---|---|---|---|
Gwagwalada | 🇳🇬 Nigeria | Africa | 6.46% |
Kabinda | 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of Congo | Africa | 6.37% |
Rupganj | 🇧🇩 Bangladesh | Asia | 6.36% |
Lokoja | 🇳🇬 Nigeria | Africa | 5.93% |
Uige | 🇦🇴 Angola | Africa | 5.92% |
Bujumbura | 🇧🇮 Burundi | Africa | 5.75% |
Songea | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | Africa | 5.74% |
Xiongan | 🇨🇳 China | Asia | 5.69% |
Potiskum | 🇳🇬 Nigeria | Africa | 5.65% |
Bunia | 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of Congo | Africa | 5.63% |
Tete | 🇲🇿 Mozambique | Africa | 5.56% |
Cuito | 🇦🇴 Angola | Africa | 5.48% |
Hosur | 🇮🇳 India | Asia | 5.38% |
Abomey-Calavi | 🇧🇯 Benin | Africa | 5.27% |
Nnewi | 🇳🇬 Nigeria | Africa | 5.18% |
Malanje | 🇦🇴 Angola | Africa | 5.17% |
Mbouda | 🇨🇲 Cameroon | Africa | 5.16% |
Quelimane | 🇲🇿 Mozambique | Africa | 5.14% |
Kampala | 🇺🇬 Uganda | Africa | 5.14% |
Goma | 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of Congo | Africa | 5.14% |
Nigeria’s economy is largely based on petroleum which has resulted in the country becoming one of the strongest economies in Africa. This, coupled with a high birth rate and a resulting young population, has given the country a strong and rising workforce.
However, the population growth in Nigeria is both a blessing and a curse. The success of the economy, among other factors, has resulted in excessive rural-to-urban migration. This mass exodus from rural areas has led to less farming, which means the country now needs to import basic food staples at a high cost.
In Mozambique, Tete and Quelimane are growing 5.56% and 5.14% respectively. The country is expected to experience strong economic growth after facing contractions due to the pandemic. Forecasts predict that the Mozambiques’s economy will grow 4% by 2022.
Implications of Fast Growth
All of the top 20 fastest growing cities are located in either Africa or Asia, and they are far outpacing growth on other continents, such as Europe, for example.
Fastest Growing Cities: Europe vs. Global
Europe's Fastest Growing Cities | Growth Rate | World's Fastest Growing Cities | Growth Rate |
---|---|---|---|
🇷🇺 Balashikha, Russia | 2.01% | 🇳🇬 Gwagwalada | 6.46% |
🇷🇺 Tyumen, Russia | 1.88% | 🇨🇩 Kabinda | 6.37% |
🇦🇱 Tiranë (Tirana), Albania | 1.63% | 🇧🇩 Rupganj | 6.36% |
🇳🇴 Oslo, Norway | 1.38% | 🇳🇬 Lokoja | 5.93% |
🇷🇺 Sochi, Russia | 1.33% | 🇦🇴 Uige | 5.92% |
🇬🇧 Coventry-Bedworth, UK | 1.32% | 🇧🇮 Bujumbura | 5.75% |
🇸🇪 Stockholm, Sweden | 1.25% | 🇹🇿 Songea | 5.74% |
🇨🇭 Lausanne, Switzerland | 1.23% | 🇨🇳 Xiongan | 5.69% |
🇷🇺 Krasnodar, Russia | 1.22% | 🇳🇬 Potiskum | 5.65% |
🇷🇺 Surgut, Russia | 1.17% | 🇨🇩 Bunia | 5.63% |
🇷🇺 Podolsk, Russia | 1.16% | 🇲🇿 Tete | 5.56% |
🇮🇪 Dublin, Ireland | 1.12% | 🇦🇴 Cuito | 5.48% |
🇬🇧 London, UK | 1.12% | 🇮🇳 Hosur | 5.38% |
🇳🇱 Utrecht, Netherlands | 1.11% | 🇧🇯 Abomey-Calavi | 5.27% |
🇸🇪 Göteborg, Sweden | 1.07% | 🇳🇬 Nnewi | 5.18% |
🇫🇷 Toulouse, France | 1.07% | 🇦🇴 Malanje | 5.17% |
🇸🇪 Malmö, Sweden | 1.05% | 🇨🇲 Mbouda | 5.16% |
🇫🇷 Montpellier, France | 1.04% | 🇲🇿 Quelimane | 5.14% |
🇫🇷 Bordeaux, France | 0.99% | 🇺🇬 Kampala | 5.14% |
🇨🇭 Genève, Switzerland | 0.99% | 🇨🇩 Goma | 5.14% |
By 2050, Sub-Saharan Africa will be home to close to 2 billion people and roughly half will be under the age of 25. This represents an enormous labor force and opportunities for innovation and growth. In fact, in navigating the pandemic, Africa is already starting to capitalize on digital advances in both traditional and new sectors.
China has its eye on Africa, as evidenced through their multiple investments in infrastructure projects in the continent. Additionally, NATO countries have recently committed to investing similar amounts in Africa to counter China’s influence.
In spite of the economic potential, increased city sizes could be problematic for some of these countries. They will need to adapt to the issues associated with mass urbanization, like pollution, overcrowding, and high costs of living.
Changing Tides
Population booms can lead to massive economic growth, a larger (and younger) working population, and a growing domestic consumer market.
As the aforementioned cities continue their rapid expansion, and as people continue to flock to growing megacities in Africa and Asia, it could represent the beginning of an important economic shift that is worth keeping an eye on.
Urbanization
Mapped: U.S. States By Number of Cities Over 250,000 Residents
Eighteen U.S. States don’t have a single incorporated area with more than 250,000 people.
Mapped: U.S. States By Number of Cities Over 250K Residents
This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.
Over 80% of the American population lives in an “urban area” according to the U.S. Census Bureau. But where are all of the country’s largest cities, and what patterns can we see from their state locations?
This map shows U.S. states by their number of incorporated areas (i.e. cities or towns) that have more than 250,000 residents. Data for this map comes from 2024 estimates made by World Population Review, which were based on the latest U.S. Census Bureau figures.
Ranked: U.S. States By Number of Cities Over 250K Residents
California and Texas—also the most populous U.S. states—each have more than 10 cities with at least a quarter of a million inhabitants.
State | Cities With 250K People | City Names |
---|---|---|
California | 15 | Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, San Francisco, Fresno, Sacramento, Long Beach, Oakland, Bakersfield, Anaheim, Riverside, Stockton, Irvine, Santa Ana, Chula Visa |
Texas | 12 | Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin, El Paso, Arlington, Corpus Christi, Plano, Lubbock, Laredo, Irving |
Arizona | 6 | Phoenix, Tucson, Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert, Glendale |
Florida | 6 | Jacksonville, Miami, Tampa, Orlando, St. Petersburg, Port St. Lucie |
North Carolina | 5 | Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro, Durham, Winston-Salem |
Ohio | 4 | Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Toledo |
Nevada | 4 | Las Vegas, Henderson, North Las Vegas, Reno |
Colorado | 3 | Denver, Colorado Springs, Aurora |
Tennessee | 2 | Nashville, Memphis |
New York | 2 | New York, Buffalo |
Pennsylvania | 2 | Philadelphia, Pittsburgh |
Indiana | 2 | Indianapolis, Fort Wayne |
Oklahoma | 2 | Oklahoma City, Tulsa |
Kentucky | 2 | Louisville/Jefferson County, Lexington |
Wisconsin | 2 | Milwaukee, Madison |
Missouri | 2 | Kansas City, St. Louis |
Nebraska | 2 | Omaha, Lincoln |
Virginia | 2 | Virginia Beach, Chesapeake |
Minnesota | 2 | Minneapolis, St. Paul |
New Jersey | 2 | Newark, Jersey City |
Illinois | 1 | Chicago |
Washington | 1 | Seattle |
District of Columbia | 1 | Washington D.C. |
Massachusetts | 1 | Boston |
Oregon | 1 | Portland |
Michigan | 1 | Detroit |
New Mexico | 1 | Albuquerque |
Maryland | 1 | Baltimore |
Georgia | 1 | Atlanta |
Kansas | 1 | Wichita |
Louisiana | 1 | New Orleans |
Hawaii | 1 | Honolulu |
Alaska | 1 | Anchorage |
Two other warm weather states, Arizona and Florida, also have a number of cities with 250,000 or more residents, at six each.
Eighteen U.S. states in total—including South Carolina, Alabama, and Utah to name a few—have no single incorporated area with 250,000 or more residents.
Cities, Towns, and Metro Areas
Like with all population data, definitions tend to play a big role in what is considered a city. In general parlance, built-up population centers are often thought of cities. However, an urban area can have a relatively big population and be incorporated as a town, as in the case of Gilbert, Arizona, which is included in the above map.
Separately, a collection of incorporated villages can be collectively referred to as a town, such as in the case of Hempstead, New York. Hempstead is an incorporated village with only 60,000 people, however it also lends its name to the wider town (an amalgamation of 22 villages and 38 hamlets) which has nearly 800,000 inhabitants. Three other New York towns listed below thus do not make the map for similar reasons.
Town | State | Population |
---|---|---|
Hempstead | New York | 779,916 |
Brookhaven | New York | 483,351 |
Islip | New York | 333,322 |
Oyster Bay | New York | 293,812 |
Source: World Population Review.
On the other hand, major hubs like Los Angeles often have a central city and surrounding suburbs, which are their own distinct incorporated cities as well. These are often counted as one major metropolitan region, but are still, technically separate cities. This leads to interesting results in the final count.
For example, in Arizona’s case, five of the six cities listed all belong to the greater Phoenix Metropolitan region.
Meanwhile, Nevada has two main population centers: Las Vegas and Reno. However two of Las Vegas’ suburbs, Henderson and North Las Vegas, are separately incorporated, and each have populations that crack the 250,000 mark.
Conversely, in South Carolina, there are no cities listed, despite having a state population of 5.3 million. The state’s urban areas are divided up in such a way that none of them (including the central cities of Charleston, Columbia, and Greenville) end up passing 250,000 in population.
-
Personal Finance1 week ago
Visualizing the Tax Burden of Every U.S. State
-
Misc6 days ago
Visualized: Aircraft Carriers by Country
-
Culture7 days ago
How Popular Snack Brand Logos Have Changed
-
Mining1 week ago
Visualizing Copper Production by Country in 2023
-
Politics1 week ago
Charted: How Americans Feel About Federal Government Agencies
-
Healthcare1 week ago
Which Countries Have the Highest Infant Mortality Rates?
-
Demographics1 week ago
Mapped: U.S. Immigrants by Region
-
Economy1 week ago
Mapped: Southeast Asia’s GDP Per Capita, by Country