United Nations

            Department of Economic and Social Affairs

                       Population Division

                    Urban and Rural Areas 1996



                                                  Annual
                                 Percentage     growth rate
                                   urban         1990-1995
                               -------------   -------------
Country or area                 1996    2030   Urban   Rural
---------------                -----   -----   -----   -----

World total                     45.7    61.1    2.4      .7
------------------------------------------------------------
More developed regions (*)      75.1    83.7     .7     -.5
------------------------------------------------------------
Less developed regions (+)      38.2    57.3    3.4      .9
------------------------------------------------------------
Least developed countries (#)   23.3    44.0    5.0     1.9
------------------------------------------------------------


(*) 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