Growing cities are attractive to investors for myriad reasons. The opportunities they offer include a large (and often cheap) workforce, a vast customer base and measures taken to accommodate this growth, such as new housing and infrastructure projects. Here are 5 fastest-growing countries between 2015 and 2020, according to the UN.
1. Delhi, India
Delhi, incorporating the Indian capital of New Delhi, sits in the north of India and has a metropolitan population of approximately 30 million people (2020 figures). According to the World Population Review, by 2035 the population will have reached 36.1 million. Issues such as air pollution continue to blight Delhi, but the city remains a big draw for both tourists – who visit attractions such as the Red Fort and the Qutab Minar – and investors, who are particularly attracted to its strengths in services, IT and real estate.
2. Shanghai, China
The population of Shanghai’s municipality stood at 24.9 million people in 2020, making it the biggest city in China and one of the largest in the world. Shanghai’s port is the busiest in the world by container traffic, and the city’s importance to global trade looks unlikely to diminish in the foreseeable future. According to the World Population Review, by 2035 the municipality’s population will have grown to almost 35 million.
3. Dhaka, Bangladesh
Dhaka is the capital city of Bangladesh, itself the eighth most populous country in the world, and one of the most densely populated. The number of people living in Dhaka stood at 20 million in 2020, and the World Population review predicts this number will rise to 31.2 million by 2035. As with the rest of Bangladesh, Dhaka is a global hub for the textiles industry, as well as being highly regarded for its pharmaceuticals and ceramics expertise.
4. Kinshasa, DRC
The capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Kinshasa stands on the Congo river just opposite the capital of the Republic of the Congo, Brazzaville. It has a population of about 15 million (as of 2020), and combined the neighbouring capitals have close to 20 million inhabitants. According to the World Population Review, Kinshasa will grow to house almost 27 million people by 2035. The DRC is one of the largest, but also one of the poorest, countries in the world. It holds vast quantities of rare earths such as cobalt, but worries about corruption, human rights issues and political and social unrest mean its potential is some way off being realised when it comes to attracting foreign investment.
5. Lahore, Pakistan
Lahore sits in the east of Pakistan, close to the border with India, and in 2021 had an estimated population of just over 13 million. By 2035, the World Population Review expects this number to grow to more than 19 million. Lahore is a Unesco City of Literature and also houses many of Pakistan’s leading universities. It is also a tourism hub, with the Walled City and famous mosques attracting millions of visitors every year. Lahore’s economy had been based around manufacturing, but in the 21st century has become better known in investment circles for its thriving services industry.
