A WORLD Economic Forum (WEF) report recently identified Tanzania’s three cities as among the 15 fastest-growing in the world. The cities and towns include Dar es Salaam, Mwanza and Songea town in Ruvuma region.
According to the report, Dar es Salaam currently has an estimated population of 6,702,000 and it’s projected to grow by 13,383,000, equivalent 100 percent in 2035. On the other hand, Mwanza has a population of 1,120,000 and is projected to grow to 2,267,000 (102 percent) in 2035, whereas Songea has 353,000 people and is projected to grow to 740,000 (110 percent) in 2035.
The report also quoted the 2017 UN press release, citing that population growth will mainly occur in nine countries, including five African countries of Tanzania, Congo, Uganda, Nigeria, and Ethiopia.
The 15 fastest-growing cities, all located in Africa, are projected to almost double their populations by 2035. Africa is growing so quickly because of its increasingly large young population, the highest of any continent.
Over 75 per cent of its population is younger than 35, according to the United Nations Office on the Special Adviser of Africa.
“The examined cities are projected to most rapidly grow in size over the next 15 years among urban areas that had at least 300,000 residents as of 2018 based on the UN’s projections of 2020 and 2035 city populations,” noted the report. Other growing cities in East Africa comprise of Bujumbura, the capital of Burundi and Kampala in Uganda.
Number 1 globally in terms of growth, has an estimated population of 1,013,000 and is projected to grow by 2,263,000 (123 per cent) in 2035. Kampala city has an estimated 2020 population of 3,928,000 and is projected to grow by 112 per cent to 7,004,000 in 2035.
Globally, the city is at number three. Other fastest projected cities in speedy growth which are also in the African continent includes 15th position Lilongwe of Malawi, which has an estimated 2020 population of 1,122,000 and is projected to grow to 2,210,000 (97 per cent) in 2035.
The rest are Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, ranked on 14th global positions with an estimated population of 2,780,000 and is projected to grow to 5,481,000 (97 percent) in 2035. Uige, Angola, which has an estimated 2020 population of 511,000 is projected to grow by 98 per cent to 1,013,000 in 2035 standing at the 13th position globally.
Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso is 12th globally, with an estimated population of 972,000 and is projected to grow by 100 per cent to 1,940,000 in 2035.
The list also makes up Tete, Mozambique, which has an estimated population of 371,000 and is projected to grow by 101 per cent to 744,000 in 2035.
It stands at number 10 globally. Number nine stands Niamey city of Niger, which has an estimated 2020 population of 1,292,000 and is projected to grow by 101 per cent to 2,600,000 in 2035. DRC Congo has Bunia town which has an estimated 2020 population of 679,000 and is projected to grow by 101 per cent to 1,368,000 in 2035, while standing at number eight in the world
