National Urban Policy: Framework for a Rapid Diagnostic

Globally, more people live in urban areas than in rural areas, with 54 per cent of the world’s population residing in urban areas in 20141. Continuing population growth and urbanization are projected to add 2.5 billion people to the world’s urban population by 2050, with nearly 90 per cent of the increase concentrated in Asia and Africa. As the world continues to urbanize, sustainable development challenges will be increasingly concentrated in cities, particularly in the lower and middle income countries where the pace of urbanization is fastest.