1 Urbanization: Concepts and Global Patterns Free Online FlashCards

What does urbanization measure?

Urbanization is an increase in the share of a population living in urban settlements.

How is urban growth different from urbanization?

Urban growth is an increase in the number of people living in urban areas. Urbanization concerns the urban share of the total population.

What is urban expansion?

Urban expansion is the outward spread of built-up land; it does not necessarily mean the urban share of the population has risen.

What thresholds define a city in the UN Degree of Urbanization method?

Under the UN Degree of Urbanization method, a city has at least 50,000 people and a density of at least 1,500 people per square kilometre.

Why should urbanization percentages be compared with care?

Countries use varying criteria, such as population size, density, administrative status, and economic activity. Urbanization percentages therefore require care when compared across countries.

How did industrialization accelerate urbanization?

Industrialization accelerated urbanization from the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries by concentrating factory work, trade, transport, and administration in cities.

What are common reasons for rural-to-urban migration?

People may move from rural areas to cities and towns for employment, education, healthcare, safety, and other opportunities.

How does natural increase contribute to urban population growth?

Natural increase occurs when births exceed deaths. It adds urban residents even when they did not migrate into the city.

What is in-situ change in urbanization?

In-situ change happens when a settlement becomes denser and develops infrastructure and non-agricultural jobs while its residents remain in place.

How can reclassification raise measured urban population without migration?

Reclassification or a boundary change can increase the measured urban population without anyone moving, by designating a settlement as urban or extending a city boundary.

How did the global share living in cities change from 1950 to 2025?

Under the UN’s harmonized categories, cities held about 20 percent of the world population in 1950, compared with about 45 percent in 2025.

What were the global population shares in cities, towns, and rural areas in 2025?

In 2025, about 45 percent lived in cities, 36 percent in towns, and 19 percent in rural areas under the UN Degree of Urbanization classification.