Band 9: The chart below provides information about the growth of urban population in certain parts of the world including future prediction. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

The bar chart illustrates the growth of urban population in four regions – the world, Africa, Asia and Latin America – from 1950 to 2030.

Overall, it is clear that the world has seen a notable rise over the period. However, Latin America has the highest percentage and it is expected to continue increasing, while Africa and Asia have shown significant growth over the years and are expected to continue growing.

Looking at the details, Asia accounted for 13% of the urban population, followed closely by Africa with 12% in 1950. By 2000, the proportion of urban residents had gradually increased to 39% for both Asia and Africa. Furthermore, they are forecasted to reach 57% and 51% by 2030, respectively.

In 1950, the urban population of the world and Latin America was recorded at 30% and 41%, respectively. In 2000, Latin America reported 70% followed by the world at a considerable distance about 48%. By 2030, the urban population is predicted to reach 80% in Latin America, which will be more than 20% higher than that of the world.