Fastest Growing Cities in the World: According to the United Nations World Urbanization Prospects (2024), Delhi tops as the Fastest Growing Cities in the World. On the other hand, the city of possibilities i.e. Bangalore was also predicted as the fastest growing city in the Asia Pacific region in 2023 with a GDP growth of 8.5 %. In 2024, it is expected that Bangalore will compete with so many well-developed foreign cities like Beijing, Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Shanghai. Bangalore holds a 6% growth of population and a 90.94% urbanization rate where 37% population falls between the age of 15 to 35 years.
In this article, we will discuss the top 10 Fastest Growing Cities in the World in detail.
Top 10 Fastest Growing Cities in the World
There are so many major factors on which we can decide about the Fastest Growing Cities in the World. Growing disposable income and improved infrastructure are the major factors in projecting the growth of a particular city. By considering these factors, we have tried to hot down the 10 Fastest Growing Cities in the World as mentioned below.
| City Name |
Country Name |
Growing Disposable Income |
Urbanization Rate |
Growth Rate |
| Delhi |
India |
8% annually |
97% |
9% |
| Shanghai |
China |
7% annually |
88% |
6.5% |
| Dhaka |
Bangladesh |
5% annually |
37% |
7.2% |
| Kinshasa |
Democratic Republic of Congo |
2% annually |
65% |
4% |
| Chongqing |
China |
7% annually |
76% |
6.8% |
| Lahore |
Pakistan |
4.5% annually |
55% |
5.5% |
| Bangalore |
India |
6.5% annually |
89% |
7.5% |
| Lagos |
Nigeria |
5.5% annually |
50% |
6.2% |
| Cairo |
Egypt |
4% annually |
43% |
5% |
| Beijing |
China |
7.5% annually |
85% |
6.7% |
Delhi – India – Growth Rate 9%
Over the past year more people moved to Delhi which accounts its population growing rate by 2.73%. In 2024, around 33.8 million people lived in the city, which is a bit more than the year before.
| Country |
India |
| Region |
North India |
| Capital |
Delhi Sultanate (1214) |
| Government |
Chief Minister: Arvind Kejriwal |
| Lt. Governor: Vinai Kumar Saxena |
| Area |
1,484 km2 (573 sq mi) |
| Population (2011) |
16,787,941 |
| Languages |
Hindi, English |
| Time zone |
UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| Literacy (2011) |
86.21% |
| Sex ratio (2011) |
868 females per 1000 males |
Shanghai – China – Growth Rate 6.5%
The present urban region populace of Shanghai in 2024 is 29.868 million, a 2.25% rise from 2023. The urban region populace of Shanghai in 2023 was 29.211 million, a 2.43% rise from 2022. The urban region populace of Shanghai in 2022 was 28.517 million, a 2.59% rise from 2021.
| Country |
China |
| Region |
Eastern China |
| Area |
6,341 km2 (2,448 sq mi) |
| Population (2021) |
24,281,000 |
| Languages |
Mandarin Chinese, Shanghainese |
| Time zone |
UTC+8 (China Standard Time) |
| Literacy Rate |
96-97% |
| Sex Ratio |
Approximately 106 males per 100 females |
Dhaka – Bangladesh – Growth Rate 7.2%
The present urban region populace of Dhaka in 2024 is 23.936 million which is an increase of 3.13% from 2023. The urban region populace of Dhaka in 2023 was 23.21 million, a 3.26% rise from 2022. The urban region populace of Dhaka in 2022 was 22.478 million, a 3.39% rise from 2021.
| Country |
Bangladesh |
| Region |
Central Bangladesh |
| Capital |
Dhaka |
| Government |
Mayor: Vacant |
| City Corporation: Dhaka South, Dhaka North |
| Area |
306.4 km2 (118.4 sq mi) |
| Population (2021) |
21,005,860 |
| Languages |
Bengali |
| Time zone |
UTC+6 (Bangladesh Standard Time) |
| Literacy Rate |
78.09 % |
| Sex Ratio |
Approximately 105 males per 100 females |
Kinshasa – Democratic Republic of Congo – Growth Rate 4%
Kinshasa, the biggest city in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), had 17,032,000 people living there in 2024, which is 4.39% more than in 2023. The city’s population has been slowly growing since 1889, when it had 5,000 people, but it started growing faster after 1940. Since 1950, the number of people in the city has doubled every five years.
| Country |
Democratic Republic of Congo |
| Region |
Central Africa |
| Area |
Approximately 9,965 km2 (3,840 sq mi) |
| Population (2021) |
Approximately 14,342,000 (urban area) |
| Languages |
Lingala, French, Kikongo |
| Time zone |
West Africa Time (UTC+1) |
| Literacy Rate |
70% |
| Sex Ratio |
Approximately 100 females per 100 males |
Chongqing – China – Growth Rate 6.8%
In 2023, Chongqing, a city in China, saw its economy increase by 6.1%. That means it made about 3.01 trillion yuan. Now, for 2024, they hope the economy will grow by around 6%. They also want the value of industries to go up by 7%, investments in buildings and infrastructure by 4%, and the revenue they get from taxes and similar sources to increase by 6%.
| Country |
China |
| Region |
Southwest China |
| Area |
82,403 km2 (31,816 sq mi) |
| Population (2021) |
31,026,000 |
| Languages |
Mandarin Chinese |
| Time zone |
UTC+8 (China Standard Time) |
| Literacy Rate |
69 % |
| Sex Ratio |
Approximately 105 males per 100 females |
Lahore – Pakistan – Growth Rate 5.5%
Lahore, the big city area of Pakistan, is expected to grow by 3.06% from 2023 to 2024, reaching 14,407,000 people. In 2023, the number of people was 13,979,000, which is a 3.23% increase from 2022.
| Country |
Pakistan |
| Province |
Punjab |
| Region |
Punjab Region |
| Area |
1,772 km2 (684 sq mi) |
| Population (2017) |
11,126,285 |
| Languages |
Punjabi, Urdu |
| Time zone |
UTC+5 (Pakistan Standard Time) |
| Literacy Rate |
Approximately 74% |
| Sex Ratio |
Approximately 1000 males per 1000 females |
Bangalore – India – Growth Rate 7.5%
In 2024, Bangalore has about 14,008,000 people which is a bit more than it had in 2023. Experts say that by 2035, the population might be over 1.8 crore. Another study says that between 2020 and 2024, Bangalore’s economy might grow by almost 10% each year.
| Country |
India |
| State |
Karnataka |
| Region |
South India |
| Area |
709 km2 (274 sq mi) |
| Population (2021) |
12,326,532 |
| Languages |
Kannada, English |
| Time zone |
UTC+5:30 (Indian Standard Time) |
| Literacy Rate |
89% |
| Sex Ratio |
Approximately 946 females per 1000 males |
Lagos – Nigeria – Growth Rate 6.2%
Lagos is Nigeria’s biggest city. It grows by about 3.2% each year. In 2023, it had 15,946,000 people, which is 3.63% more than in 2022. They expect around 16,536,018 people in 2024.
| Country |
Nigeria |
| Region |
Southwest Nigeria |
| Area |
1,171.28 km2 (452.23 sq mi) |
| Population (2021) |
14,862,000 |
| Languages |
English, Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa |
| Time zone |
WAT (UTC+1) |
| Literacy Rate |
Approximately 92% |
| Sex Ratio |
Approximately 95 males per 100 females |
Cairo – Egypt – Growth Rate 5%
Cairo’s population is increasing by about 1.99% each year, from 2023 to 2024. The population of Greater Cairo is estimated to be growing at a similar rate of around 2% per year. However, the workforce is likely expanding at a rate of more than 3% per year, mainly due to the large number of young people entering the working age.
| Country |
Egypt |
| Region |
Northern Africa |
| Area |
Approximately 606 km2 (234 sq mi) |
| Population (2021) |
Approximately 9.5 million |
| Languages |
Arabic, English |
| Time zone |
UTC+2 (Eastern European Time) |
| Literacy Rate |
74.1% |
| Sex Ratio |
Approximately 101 females per 100 males |
Beijing – China – Growth Rate 6.7%
Beijing, which is the capital of China, planned to grow by 5% in 2024. It is more than the 4.5% growth target they had in 2023. In 2023, Beijing’s local economy measured by something called gross domestic product or GDP went up by 5.2% to reach 4.4 trillion yuan. The number of people living in Beijing in 2024 is 22,189,000, which is 1.94% more than in 2023.
| Country |
China |
| Region |
Northern China |
| Area |
16,410.5 km2 (6,336.8 sq mi) |
| Population (2021) |
21,866,000 |
| Languages |
Mandarin Chinese |
| Time zone |
UTC+8 (China Standard Time) |
| Literacy Rate |
99.5% |
| Sex Ratio |
Approximately 105 males per 100 females |
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Summary – Top 10 Fastest Growing Cities in the World
The fastest-growing cities in the world are examined in-depth in this article, with particular attention paid to their rates of urbanization, economic growth, and other important variables. With an astounding 9% growth rate, Delhi, India, tops the list. Other vibrant cities like Shanghai, Dhaka, and Bangalore are next. Every city exhibits notable progress in terms of both infrastructure and disposable money, which has facilitated their swift growth. Notably, Bangalore is the city in the Asia Pacific area that is expanding the fastest because to its thriving tech industry and sizable population of young professionals. The list also emphasizes how urban growth is taking place all across the world, from the thriving streets of Lagos, Nigeria, to the growing metropolis of Chongqing, China. In addition to seeing population growth, these cities are developing into important centers.
FAQs – Top 10 Fastest Growing Cities in the World
Which is the No 1 growing city in India?
Bangalore is the Fastest Growing City in India. There are 1.7 times as many engineering colleges in Bangalore city as there are in Mumbai and 5 times more than there are in Delhi. Over 44% of migrants arriving in the city have technical skills.
Which Indian city is growing fast?
Bangalore. Known as the Silicon Valley of India, Bangalore has been at the forefront of India’s rapid urban transformation. Over the past few decades, this vibrant metropolis has witnessed remarkable population growth, making it one of the fastest growing cities in the country.
Which is the 1 richest city in India?
The richest city in India varies by metric: Mumbai leads in GDP with over USD 310 trillion, anchoring as the financial heart. By per capita income, Delhi takes the crown with ₹4,44,768 annually, marking it as the hub of wealth.
What is the richest country in Asia?
As the richest nation in Asia, Singapore is often cited as an international financial center. At $91,000 per person, Singapore boasts a highly advanced market economy. In the past, the nation’s high average annual growth rates of about 6 percent between 1965 and 1995 were fueled by considerable entrepôt commerce.
What is India’s city growth rate?
In 2022, approximately a third of the total population in India lived in cities. The trend shows an increase of urbanization by more than 4 percent in the last decade, meaning people have moved away from rural areas to find work and make a living in the cities.
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