Compare the overall percentages of the population living in urban areas, in developed countries versus developing countries

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Answer: Urbanization is the process by which the populations of urban settlements grow. This can be measured in two ways: the absolute numbers of people living in cities, or the percentage of a population that lives in cities. Developed countries have a higher percentage of urban residents, but developing countries have more of the very large urban settlements. Seven of the ten most populous cities are in developing countries.

Identifying the world's largest cities is difficult, because each country defines cities in a unique manner. According to Demographia, 171 urban areas have at least 2 million inhabitants, 105 at least 3 million, 55 at least 5 million, 22 at least 10 million, and 4 (Tokyo, Jakarta, New York, and Seoul) at least 20 million. That developing countries dominate the list of largest urban settlements is remarkable because urbanization was once associated with economic development. In 1900, after diffusion of the Industrial Revolution from Great Britain to continental Europe and North America, all ten of the world's largest cities were in developed countries.