The line graph delineates the demographic changes in the populations of five prominent cities—Tehran, Beijing, Lagos, New York City, and Moscow—over a span from 1970 to the present day.
Overall, the data reveals that Lagos and Tehran have undergone considerable population growth, in stark contrast to the relatively stable figures observed in New York City and Moscow. Beijing illustrates a steady increase, albeit at a more moderate rate compared to the cities experiencing exponential growth.
In 1970, New York City possessed the highest population among the cities analyzed, with approximately 15 million residents, followed by Moscow at around 7.5 million, and then Beijing at nearly 7.5 million. Tehran started with just above 5 million, while Lagos registered a considerably lower population of approximately 2.5 million. By the year 2000, Lagos and Tehran began to surpass Moscow, with Lagos’s population expanding to nearly 10 million and Tehran’s reaching around 8 million. During this interval, New York witnessed a modest increase to approximately 16 million, while Moscow’s population stagnated at about 10 million.
From 2000 onward, the growth trajectory for Lagos became particularly pronounced, culminating in its population exceeding 22.5 million by 2020, thus establishing it as the most populous city among those surveyed. Concurrently, Tehran’s population surged to around 15 million, displaying remarkable growth. Beijing’s population experienced a consistent increase, reaching approximately 20 million, whereas New York and Moscow only saw slight augmentations, stabilizing at around 20 million and 8 million, respectively. This data underscores the significant urbanization trends impacting cities in developing nations, particularly in contrast to the more tempered growth observed in established metropolitan areas.