By Helen Massy-Beresford
Is the planet’s fastest growing metropolis in China, Indonesia or Niger? With many different methods of measurement, there’s no simple, single answer
The fastest growing city in the world is Batam in Indonesia … or Niamey in Niger … or maybe Xiamen in China. It all depends on who you ask.
Batam is the fastest-growing city in the world by population, according to US-based consultancy Demographia, which bases its annual Demographia World Urban Areas ranking largely on the United Nations’ 2010-20 world population forecasts – but only includes cities with a population of 1 million or more. Batam is close to Singapore and operates as a transport hub and industrial area, while a free-trade zone boosts trade with the island city-state. Batam had a population of 1.1 million in the latest estimate, with an annual growth of 7.4%.
Second on Demographia’s ranking is Mogadishu in Somalia, with a population of 2.1 million, growing at 6.9%. Mogadishu’s growth is driven by its improving security situation and economic prospects after decades of civil war – many Somalis have returned from abroad.
In third place is Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso, with a population of 2.7 million and growth of 6.8%. The country as a whole is vulnerable to fluctuations in commodity prices, but its capital is benefiting from investment in infrastructure.
The fourth and fifth fastest-growing cities in the world are both in China, with Xiamen growing at 6.7% with a population of 4.4 million and Yinchuan growing at 6.1% with a population of 1.6 million. A slowdown in Chinese economic growth could mean that some Chinese cities drop down the leader board of the world’s fastest growing cities, according to Demographia’s Wendell Cox.
But the Chinese government’s attempts both to make the economy less dependent on exports and to ensure the west of the country shares in new prosperity may make for faster growth rates in cities such as Chengdu, he says. With a population of over 10 million, making it a megacity already, Chengdu, in 91st place on Demographia’s list, is still showing 3.5% annual population growth and covers a sprawling 1,541 km sq.
“The government is committed to encouraging more people to move to cities because of the greater prosperity they expect in the long run. So even with the slowdown in the economy, you’re liable to still see growth in Chinese cities,” says Cox.
Read more:Where is the fastest growing city in the world?
Source: The Guardian
