This web page provides access to statistical and analytical reports in electronic format (pdf) that have been published over the past three decades by the United Nations Population Division on urban and rural populations and the demography of selected urban agglomerations around the world. Of course, these historical reports cannot provide information on the most recent trends in urbanization; but they may be useful as background material for the estimates and projections published in the current World Urbanization Prospects.

Studies on Urbanization and the Methodology of Urban and Rural Population Projections

1969

Growth of the World's Urban and Rural Population, 1920-2000

1974

Manual VIII - Methods for Projections of Urban and Rural Population

1977

Orders of Magnitude of the World's Urban Population in History

1980

Patterns of Urban and Rural Population Growth

1995

The Challenge of Urbanization: The World's Large Cities

2001

The Components of Urban Growth in Developing Countries

Reports on Population Growth and Policies in Mega-Cities*

1986

Bombay

1986

Calcutta

1986

Manila

1986

Seoul

1986

Bangkok

1987

Dhaka

1987

Madras

1988

Karachi

1989

Jakarta

1990

Cairo

1993

São Paulo

Note: * Names of cities and urban agglomerations in the titles of the reports have not been updated according to current official names. They refer to the name of the city or urban agglomeration at the time when the report was published.

Source: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. New York