The average annual rate of population growth in countries such as Norway, the UK, and New Zealand is less than 1.0 per cent. In Australia, the USA and Canada the average annual rate of urban population growth is 1 to 2.4 per cent. Many countries in Africa have rates of more than 7.5 per cent. No country in Africa has rate less than 2.5 per cent. Urban population growth in most Asian countries is between 1 and 7.4. Countries in South America fall into two groups. The countries from north part of America are group that has an annual population growth 2.5 to 4.9 per cent. Brazil is one of the three countries that have an annual rate of urban population growth of 1 to 2.4 per cent.
2. By 1990, London has dropped out of the list of the world's top mega-cities. The largest city in the world was Mexico City. For the first time a city in developing country topped the urban size list with a population of a staggering 20.2. By the year 2000, it is predicted there will be 4 cities that exceed the size of New York in 1950. New York will have dropped to 5th position in the world's top ten, and the first two places will be held by Mexico City and Sao Paulo. .
In terms of size the cities of Tokyo, New York and London, which dominated the economic global urban structure, have been overtaken by the expending cities of Latin America, China and India. Cities of the developing world are dominant in the size rating of urban places. .
In 1900, London was the largest city in the world with a population of 6.5 million. In 1950, New York was the largest urban place in the world. It had a population of 12.3 million, which according to the UN gave it megalopolis status.
In 1950, there was only one other place which could be classified as a megalopolis, this was London. In 1970 8 new megalopolises had developed. Three of the new megalopolises were in the more developed countries, these were USA, Japan and China but 5 were in the less developed countries.