Edexcel GCSE Geography A (1GA0) — The Human Environment
Over the last 50 years, the global population has doubled, but the number of people living in cities has more than trebled (from 750 million in 1950 to 4.4 billion today). This rapid shift is known as , which is the process by which an increasing percentage of a country's population comes to live in towns and cities.
In 2007, the world crossed a historic threshold: for the first time, more than 50% of the global population lived in urban areas. Today, this figure is around 56%, and it is projected to reach 68% (approximately 7 billion people) by 2050.
This explosion in urban populations has led to a dramatic rise in the number of millionaire cities (cities with over 1 million people). In 1900 there were only two (London and Paris), but today there are over 512. In some countries, this growth results in , where one primate city is vastly larger than any others, completely dominating the country's economy and politics.
A city's population grows from 7 million to 21 million over 50 years. Calculate the percentage growth.
Step 1: State the formula for percentage growth.
Step 2: Substitute the values into the formula.
Step 3: Calculate the final answer.
Why do some of the world's most famous, wealthy cities actually have the slowest growth rates? The pace of looks completely different depending on a country's economic status.
It is crucial to distinguish between the level of (the total percentage of people currently in cities) and the rate of (how fast that percentage is increasing). Developed countries have high levels but slow rates, whereas developing countries have low levels but very fast rates. Meanwhile, emerging countries (NEEs) sit between the two, with moderate levels of that are rising rapidly due to industrialisation and the of manufacturing.
| Country Category | Urbanisation Level | Urbanisation Rate | Key Characteristics & Trends |
|---|---|---|---|
| Developed (HICs) | High (80%–90%) | Slow, stagnant, or declining | Urbanised historically during the 18th/19th century. Now experiencing or . |
| Emerging (NEEs) | Moderate and rising rapidly | Rapid | Driven by industrialisation and the of manufacturing in the 1970s and 80s (e.g., China moved from 18% urban in 1978 to nearly 60% today). |
| Developing (LICs) | Lowest (e.g., Ethiopia at ~20%) | The fastest globally | Experiencing rapid and . |
Imagine trying to provide clean water and schools for a population spread across thousands of miles of farmland compared to a highly dense city. Governments find it significantly cheaper to provide services in one dense area due to economies of scale.
The physical growth of cities globally is driven by a 60/40 split: accounts for approximately 60% of growth, while accounts for the remaining 40%.
People move from the countryside to cities due to a combination of (negative issues forcing them out) and (positive features attracting them). A major push factor is the mechanisation of farming, which leads to heavy job losses in rural areas. Meanwhile, the prospect of higher-paid formal jobs and better healthcare acts as a strong pull factor to the city.
Migration is typically led by young adults aged 18–35. Because these migrants are of child-bearing age, urban birth rates naturally rise, which subsequently fuels further . This demographic shift triggers an "Upward Spiral" economic multiplier effect: initial investment creates jobs, attracting workers who then spend their wages, creating further demand for services and jobs.
A city has a birth rate of 20 per 1,000 and a death rate of 8 per 1,000. Calculate the .
Step 1: State the formula.
Step 2: Substitute the values.
Step 3: Calculate the final answer.
You could fit the entire population of some European countries into just one Asian city. A is defined as an urban area with a population of 10 million or more.
In 1970, there were only three or four megacities globally (such as Tokyo, New York, and London). By 2018, this number had surged to 33. The global distribution of these massive cities has shifted dramatically, with most now located in LICs and NEEs, and approximately 80% located in Asia.
Tokyo remains the largest in the world with roughly 37.3 million people, but its growth is now extremely slow. In contrast, Lagos in Nigeria has around 15 million people but is one of the fastest-growing megacities globally. This rapid expansion in emerging nations is often driven by , where rural land on the expanding city edge is physically built on and reclassified as urban.
When a city grows by thousands of people a day, the local infrastructure simply cannot keep up. The effects of rapid manifest in severe social, economic, and environmental impacts.
Socially, the failure of housing supply to meet migration demand leads to the rapid creation of informal squatter settlements. For example, in Dharavi (Mumbai), 500 people share a single public latrine, resulting in up to 4,000 cases of water-borne diseases like typhoid and diphtheria every single day.
Economically, many new migrants are forced to work in the , taking jobs such as street vending or waste picking. These jobs do not provide sick pay, are untaxed, and remain unmonitored, which strictly limits the government's tax base and prevents vital investment in infrastructure.
Environmentally, the outward expansion of cities leads to the permanent destruction of a and the creation of sprawling . In densely packed cities like Mumbai, poor governance and inadequate waste management also mean untreated industrial waste is dumped directly into local waterways like the Mithi River.
Students often wrongly assume that developed countries (HICs) have the fastest rates of urban growth because they feature famous, wealthy cities; in reality, they have the highest overall levels but the lowest growth rates.
In 'Contrast' questions about urbanisation trends, you must explicitly use comparative language like 'whereas', 'in comparison', or 'on the other hand' to secure the marks, rather than just describing HICs and LICs separately.
When explaining causes in a 6-mark or 8-mark question, always link migration to natural increase by stating a chain of reasoning: young migrants move for work, meaning they are of reproductive age, which subsequently causes urban birth rates to rise.
The mechanisation of farming is the most common rural 'push' factor cited in Edexcel mark schemes, so always use it as your primary example of why people leave the countryside.
Urbanisation
The process by which an increasing percentage or proportion of a country's population comes to live in towns and cities.
Millionaire city
A city with a population of over 1 million people.
Urban primacy
A state where one city is vastly larger than any others in the country, dominating its economy and politics.
Counter-urbanisation
The movement of people from urban areas to the countryside.
Re-urbanisation
The movement of people back into city centres, often due to the regeneration of inner cities.
Global Shift
The movement of manufacturing from developed countries to emerging and developing countries in the 1970s and 1980s.
Natural increase
Population growth that occurs when the birth rate is higher than the death rate.
Rural-to-urban migration
The movement of people from the countryside to cities.
Push factors
Negative factors forcing people to leave rural areas, such as the mechanisation of farming.
Pull factors
Positive factors attracting people to cities, such as higher-paid formal jobs and better healthcare.
Megacity
A city with a population of 10 million or more.
Urban sprawl
The outward expansion of a city into surrounding rural areas.
Informal economy
Part of the economy that is neither taxed nor monitored by the government.
Greenfield site
Land that has not been built on before, usually located in the rural-urban fringe.
Conurbations
An extended urban area, consisting of several towns merging with the suburbs of a central city.
Put your knowledge into practice — try past paper questions for Geography A
Urbanisation
The process by which an increasing percentage or proportion of a country's population comes to live in towns and cities.
Millionaire city
A city with a population of over 1 million people.
Urban primacy
A state where one city is vastly larger than any others in the country, dominating its economy and politics.
Counter-urbanisation
The movement of people from urban areas to the countryside.
Re-urbanisation
The movement of people back into city centres, often due to the regeneration of inner cities.
Global Shift
The movement of manufacturing from developed countries to emerging and developing countries in the 1970s and 1980s.
Natural increase
Population growth that occurs when the birth rate is higher than the death rate.
Rural-to-urban migration
The movement of people from the countryside to cities.
Push factors
Negative factors forcing people to leave rural areas, such as the mechanisation of farming.
Pull factors
Positive factors attracting people to cities, such as higher-paid formal jobs and better healthcare.
Megacity
A city with a population of 10 million or more.
Urban sprawl
The outward expansion of a city into surrounding rural areas.
Informal economy
Part of the economy that is neither taxed nor monitored by the government.
Greenfield site
Land that has not been built on before, usually located in the rural-urban fringe.
Conurbations
An extended urban area, consisting of several towns merging with the suburbs of a central city.
