Baku: Seven countries will account for half of the world's urban population growth over the next 25 years. India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Bangladesh, and Ethiopia are projected to collectively add more than 500 million new urban residents between 2025 and 2050. This figure represents more than half of the anticipated global urban population growth of 986 million during that period, as stated by Cheryl Sawyer, a representative of the UN Population Division. Sawyer presented these findings during the session 'Future Urbanisation, How Will Your City Change Over the Next Decades,' which was part of the World Urban Forum 13 (WUF13).

According to Azerbaijan State News Agency, the report also highlights that over 3,000 cities worldwide experienced population declines between 2015 and 2025. Notably, more than a third of these cities are located in China, while 17 percent are in India. The report points out that the size of a city does not necessarily ensure population growth, citing examples of large cities such as Mexico City and Chengdu that have faced similar population decreases.