Urban population to swell to 40 per cent by 2030

Bhopal, June 27 (UNI) Urban population in Madhya Pradesh is estimated to swell along the national average of about 40 percent by 2030, but far below the world's urban population of 60 per cent by then, says report on ''State of the world population 2007''.

Releasing the report prepared by United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) here today, UNFPA State Programe Officer Dr Neelesh Deshpande said urban population in Madhya Pradesh was growing almost along the national average and it would touch 40.2 percent by 2030 from 26.7 percent at present. At the same time, the world's urban population, at present at 47.8 percent, will touch 60 percent.

Focusing on population and development issues, the report says that more than half of world's population, 3.3 billion, would live in urban areas by 2008 and by 2030, the swelling urban population was estimated at 5 billion. The growth will not be so pleasant as most of the new urbanites will be poor.

According to Dr Deshpande, India has 28.7 per cent urban population which is incessantly increasing as the ruralites have been migrating seeking employment, education and other opportunities in urban areas.

''In Madhya Pradesh, 73.3 per cent population is living in rural areas and the rest in urban areas. Tamil Nadu topped the list with 43.9 per cent urban population followed by Maharashtra at 42.5 per cent'', said Dr Deshpande.

Bihar is lagging behind in the race of urbanisation with a meagre figure of 10.7 per cent urbanites, he added.

UNI