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Glossary

Rural exodus

Rural exodus is understood as the emigration of a large part of the rural population, especially of farming background, from rural areas to the cities because of the mostly better working and living conditions. The process of rural exodus is the necessary prerequisite and a concomitant of industrialization. Accordingly, the rural exodus first began in Great Britain (from the 18th century). Today it is most pronounced in developing countries with high population growth. The rural exodus is accompanied by increasing urbanization. The world population is growing faster than ever, especially in the cities of developing countries. The UN population program UNFPA expects five billion city dwellers by 2030. In other words, many more people who live in cities rather than in the countryside. Urbanisation is considered one of the big megatrends.

    Cities are growing mainly in Asia, Africa and Latin America. The urban population there will double by 2030 compared to 2000. In Asia, the proportion of city dwellers is likely to rise from 1.36 billion at present to 2.64 billion in this period, from 294 to 742 million in Africa and from 394 to 609 million in Latin America and the Caribbean. The United Nations sees urbanization as a positive development. «Since the dawn of industrialisation, no country has achieved true economic growth without expanding its cities,» says the World Cities Report 2020, adding that the chances of getting ahead in a city are greater than in the countryside. At the same time, the demands to feed the cities are increasing.

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