GCSE-ready- Home
- Lessons
- GCSE & IGCSE Geography A
- Urbanisation around the world
Urbanisation around the world
🎬 The doodle video for this lesson is coming soon. Subscribe on YouTube to see it first.
For the first time in history, more people live in towns and cities than in the countryside. Cities are growing fastest in poorer countries.
What urbanisation means
Urbanisation is an increase in the proportion of people living in urban areas.
Since about 2007, more than half of the world's population has lived in urban areas.
A megacity has more than 10 million people.
Since about 2007, more than half of the world's population has lived in urban areas.
A megacity has more than 10 million people.
Why cities grow
Rural-urban migration: people move from the countryside.
Push factors drive people away: few jobs, poor services, drought.
Pull factors attract people: jobs, schools, hospitals, better pay.
Natural increase: more births than deaths, as many migrants are young.
Push factors drive people away: few jobs, poor services, drought.
Pull factors attract people: jobs, schools, hospitals, better pay.
Natural increase: more births than deaths, as many migrants are young.
Different speeds
Urbanisation is fastest in developing and emerging countries in Asia and Africa.
In many developed countries most people already live in cities, so growth is slower.
In many developed countries most people already live in cities, so growth is slower.
Explain one push factor and one pull factor for rural-urban migration.
- Push: a lack of jobs in farming forces people to look elsewhere.
- Pull: factory and service jobs in the city offer regular wages.
- Together they encourage people to move to the city.
Answer: Push: few rural jobs. Pull: better-paid city jobs.
Urbanisation is a rising proportion of people in urban areas. It is driven by rural-urban migration (push and pull factors) and natural increase, and is fastest in developing and emerging countries.
Check you have got it
Answer 6 quick questions with instant marking. If you get one wrong, GCSE-ready shows you why and gives you another go. It is free, and you do not need an account.