How did the share of the world's population living in urban areas change from 1950 to the late 2000s?

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urban sprawl Mosaic of images taken by Landsat 5 of the western portion of Las Vegas in 1984 (top), 1999 (middle), and 2009 (bottom).

According to data from the United Nations Population Division, the share of the world's population living in urban areas experienced a significant increase between 1950 and the late 2000s. In 1950, approximately 29 percent of the global population resided in urban areas; by the late 2000s, this figure had risen to about 49 percent.1

This trend of urbanization has been observed globally, though the extent varies by region and level of economic development. Developed nations generally saw higher urban population shares during this period, while many developing countries experienced more recent and rapid shifts toward urban living.12