The chart illustrates the percentage of the population living in urban areas across the world, Africa, Asia and Latin America in 1950 and 2000, along with projected figures for 2030.
Overall, urbanization rates increased significantly in all four regions over the period shown, and this upward trend is expected to continue to 2030. Latin America consistently had the highest proportion of urban dwellers, while Africa and Asia lagged behind the global average throughout.
In 1950, only around 30% of the world’s population lived in cities, with Africa and Asia recording much lower figures of roughly 12% and 13% respectively. By contrast, Latin America stood out with over 40% of its population already urbanized at that time.
By 2000, urban populations had risen substantially across the board, reaching approximately 48% globally, around 39-40% in both Africa and Asia, and nearly 70% in Latin America.
This growth is set to continue, with projections for 2030 showing the world average climbing to over 60%, Africa and Asia rising to around 50-55%, and Latin America reaching as high as 80%, making it by far the most urbanized region among those compared.