Ghaziabad grows fastest at 5.2%: mapped cities leading the world’s urban boom

Annual growth leaders

Ghaziabad, next to Delhi, has the highest annual growth rate in the ranking at 5.2 per cent. Surat, in Gujarat, follows at 4.99 per cent, ahead of Kabul at 4.74 per cent and Lagos at 4.44 per cent.

Other cities on the list include Kampala, growing at 4.03 per cent, Nairobi at 4 per cent and Dhaka at 3.79 per cent. Delhi’s annual growth rate is 3 per cent. Toluca, in Mexico, is the only city listed outside Asia and Africa. The ranking combines growth rates from the City Mayors Foundation with United Nations estimates covering different periods.

Five-year population increases

A separate ranking based on total growth over five years places Malappuram, in Kerala, first, with a 44 per cent increase. Can Tho in Vietnam and Suqian in China each grew by 37 per cent.

Kozhikode, also in Kerala, recorded 35 per cent growth, followed by Abuja at 34 per cent and Suzhou at 33 per cent. Sharjah and Putian each grew by 32 per cent, while Muscat and Kollam each recorded 31 per cent.

Cities changing in size

Jakarta has passed Tokyo as the world’s most populated city, with 41.9 million people compared with Tokyo’s 33.4 million. Dhaka moved from ninth place to second, with 36.6 million residents.

The United Nations projects that Dhaka will become the biggest city by 2050. World Population Review says roughly 55 per cent of people worldwide live in urban areas, a share expected to reach 68 per cent by that year.

Growth and infrastructure pressures

World Population Review links urban growth to the job markets, higher wages, schools and services cities offer. It says cities in Asia and Africa are expanding fastest.