A mega city has 10 million or more inhabitants. In 1950 there were two mega cities in the world. In 2005 the number had increased to 20 and it is estimated that at least another two cities will be included by 2015 (UN DESA 2006 "World Urbanization Prospects: The 2005 Revision").

The largest cities in the world are found in Asia. They continue to grow, not just because of migration but also because of exponential growth in existing urban communities.

China leads the urbanisation race worldwide. It is estimated that by 2050, the urban population is likely to reach 1-1.1 billion, with an urbanisation level as high as 75% (Anthony Yeh and Jiang Yu 2005 ”China Urban Sector Strategy Review”).

Of Asia’s mega cities, three are in India and two in China. While Metro Manila is the largest city in the Philippines, newcomers Davao and Cebu are growing far more rapidly and may achieve mega city status within the next ten years.

Asia’s Mega Cities (population in millions)

Source: UN DESA 2006

Minor cities

While mega cities will continue to dominate the urban landscape, it is critical to recognise that the balance of the urban population in Asia Pacific actually resides in smaller towns and cities – those with populations of less than 500,000 (UNESCAP Population Division, ‘Urban Agglomerations 2007’).

Smaller cities are absorbing more population growth, which may reduce the pressure on larger urban centres. However, smaller cities have generally more ‘unaddressed problems’, and fewer resources at their disposal (UN Population Fund, ‘State of the World Population 2007’). This demonstrates the importance of giving attention to small cities and towns, as they multiply and spread across the region.