United Nations

            Department of Economic and Social Affairs

                       Population Division

                    Urban and Rural Areas 1996



                                   Population (thousands)
                             -------------------------------------
                                   Urban               Rural
                             -----------------   -----------------
Country or area                1996      2030      1996      2030
---------------              -------   -------   -------   -------

World total                  2635645   5117038   3132129   3254564
-------------------------------------------------------------------
More developed regions (*)    882890   1014759    292150    197388
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Less developed regions (+)   1752755   4102279   2839979   3057176
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Least developed countries (#) 138316    557663    456195    709539
-------------------------------------------------------------------


(*) More developed regions comprise all regions of Europe and 
    Northern America, Australia/New Zealand and Japan.    

(+) Less developed regions comprise all regions of Africa, Asia
    (excluding Japan) and  Latin America and the Caribbean,  and
    the regions of Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia.                                                        

(#) As of 1995, the least developed countries, as defined by the
    United Nations General Assembly, comprise 48 countries, of which
    33 are in Africa, 9 in Asia, 1 in Latin America and 5 in
    Oceania.  They are included in the less developed regions.
 
                                                            

United Nations publication, (ST/ESA/SER.A/166), Sales No. E.97.XIII.3
Copyright (C) United Nations 1997