Dhaka Tops World’s Most Crowded Cities List

According to World Economic Forum, more than half of the world’s population currently lives in urban areas and the United Nations (UN) expects that proportion to increase to 66% by 2050, with close to 90% of the increase concentrated in Asia and Africa.

With a population density of 44,500 people per square kilometre, Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, is the most crowded city on the planet by quite a distance.

According to UN Habitat data, of the top 10 most densely populated cities in the world, six are in Asia, three are in Africa and one is in South America.

Two Indian cities — Mumbai and Kota — have been named among the world’s most crowded in a list.

With a population density of 44,500 people per square kilometre, Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, is the most crowded city on the planet, followed by India’s financial capital Mumbai, home to 31,700 people per square kilometre at the second place.

Kota in Rajasthan with 12,100 people per square kilometre was ranked seventh.

Others in the list include Medellin in Columbia ranked third with 19,700 people per square kilometre, Manila, Philippines (4th, 14,800), Casablanca, Morocco (5th, 14,200), Lagos, Nigeria (6th, 13,300), Singapore (8th, 10,200) and Jakarta, Indonesia (9th, 9,600).

Kibera, Africa’s biggest slum, is just 5 km from Nairobi city centre and is infamous for its poverty and its metal shacks built millimetres away from railway lines, while Dharavi in Mumbai has a reported density of over 200,000 people per square kilometre.