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Urbanisation is one of the most significant global trends of the 21st century. For AQA GCSE Geography, you need to understand what urbanisation is, where it is happening fastest, and why rates differ between countries at different levels of development. This lesson lays the foundation for everything that follows.
Urbanisation is the increasing percentage of a country's population that lives in urban areas (towns and cities). It is measured as the urban population as a percentage of the total population.
Exam Tip: Do not confuse urbanisation with urban growth. Urban growth is the increase in the number of people living in cities. Urbanisation is the increase in the proportion of people living in cities. A country's cities could grow without the country urbanising if rural areas grow at the same rate.
| Statistic | Detail |
|---|---|
| World urban population (2020) | ~56% |
| World urban population (1950) | ~30% |
| Projected urban population (2050) | ~68% |
| Number of people moving to cities daily | ~200,000 |
| Most urbanised continent | South America (~84%) |
| Least urbanised continent | Africa (~44%) |
The world crossed the 50% threshold around 2007 — for the first time in human history, more people lived in cities than in rural areas.
The rate and stage of urbanisation varies enormously depending on a country's level of development. The AQA specification groups countries into three categories:
Urbanisation is closely linked to the Demographic Transition Model (DTM):
| DTM Stage | Urbanisation Characteristics |
|---|---|
| Stage 1 | Very low urbanisation; most people in subsistence agriculture |
| Stage 2 | Urbanisation begins; high natural increase fuels city growth |
| Stage 3 | Rapid urbanisation; rural-to-urban migration accelerates |
| Stage 4 | High urbanisation; growth slows; counter-urbanisation may begin |
| Stage 5 | Stable or declining urban populations in some cities |
Exam Tip: If asked to explain why urbanisation rates differ between HICs and LICs, link your answer to the DTM. HICs went through rapid urbanisation decades or centuries ago (Stages 2–3). LICs and NEEs are going through it now.
Urbanisation is driven by two main processes:
People move from the countryside to cities. This is driven by a combination of push and pull factors:
Push factors (reasons to leave rural areas):
Pull factors (reasons to move to cities):
graph TD
A[Rural Push Factors] --> E[Rural-to-Urban Migration]
B[Urban Pull Factors] --> E
A --> A1[Lack of jobs]
A --> A2[Poor services]
A --> A3[Natural disasters]
B --> B1[Better employment]
B --> B2[Access to education]
B --> B3[Improved healthcare]
E --> F[Urbanisation increases]
Once people move to cities, the urban population continues to grow through natural increase (birth rate minus death rate). In many LICs and NEEs, urban populations are young, so the birth rate is high and the death rate is relatively low.
Exam Tip: When explaining urbanisation in LICs and NEEs, always mention both rural-to-urban migration and natural increase. Many students forget natural increase — it accounts for around 60% of urban growth in some African cities.
In many HICs, a reverse process is occurring:
Counter-urbanisation is the movement of people out of cities and into the surrounding countryside and small towns.
graph LR
A[Urbanisation] --> B[Suburbanisation]
B --> C[Counter-urbanisation]
C --> D[Re-urbanisation]
D --> A
If presented with a world map showing urbanisation rates, you should be able to describe the following pattern:
This pattern reflects the link between urbanisation and economic development. Countries that industrialised earlier tend to be more urbanised.
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Urbanisation | The increasing proportion of a population living in urban areas |
| Urban growth | The increase in the number of people living in urban areas |
| Rural-to-urban migration | The movement of people from the countryside to cities |
| Natural increase | Population growth caused by birth rate exceeding death rate |
| Counter-urbanisation | The movement of people from cities to rural areas |
| Primate city | A city that is disproportionately larger than all other cities in a country |
| Megacity | A city with a population of more than 10 million people |
Exam Tip: In a 6-mark or 9-mark question on urbanisation, always use specific data (percentages, dates, examples) to support your points. Vague statements like "lots of people move to cities" will not score highly.