SCIENCE / DEMOGRAPHY

List: Top Ten Largest Cities in the World by 2015 (est.) by Number of Inhabitants

Date: January 2007

Source: 'State of the World' report - ONU

Base: All the major cities in the world based on demographic projections.

Notes: In 1950, there were 730 million people living in cities globally. By 2000, that number had grown to 2,800 million. By 2015 the UN is estimating there will be 33 cities with more than 8 million inhabitants and 21 of these will be located on or near the coast, while the total number of city dwellers will have passed 3,200 million - a third of them living in 'the suburbs'.