Issue Some cities are already shrinking in low fertility countries

Summary

The Megatrends 2040 report points to an exception to the global rise of cities: in recent years some urban areas have lost population. These declines have occurred mainly in Asian and European countries with low fertility, where total population is stagnant or falling or where the economy has contracted. Migration and natural disasters have also contributed to these losses. Nevertheless, the report expects fewer cities worldwide to shrink between now and 2030 than in the previous two decades. Urban decline thus appears as a localized counter-trend within an overall pattern of accelerating urbanisation.