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Ĭities are economic powerhouses: more than 80 per cent of worldwide GDP is generated within their boundaries. Today, Tokyo (37.4 million), New Delhi (28.5 million), and Shanghai (25.6 million inhabitants) are the most populous cities worldwide. During the same time, the number of so-called mega cities – cities that have more than ten million inhabitants, most of which are located in the Global South – is expected to increase from 33 to 43, with the fastest growth in Asia and Africa. In 2018, there were 548, and in 2030, a projected 706 cities will have at least one million inhabitants. There were 371 cities with more than one million inhabitants at the turn of the century in 2000. By 2045, this figure is estimated to increase by 1.5 times, to more than six billion. Ranking Cities’ Happiness Around the WorldĪbout 4.2 billion people, more than half of the world’s population (55.3 per cent), are living in urban areas today.
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