2007 marked the first year where more of the world's population lived in an urban setting than a rural setting. In 1960, roughly a third of the world lived in an urban setting; it is expected that this figure will reach two thirds by 2050. Urbanization is a fairly new phenomenon; for the vast majority of human history, fewer than five percent of the world lived in urban areas, due to the dependency on subsistence agriculture. Advancements in agricultural practices and technology then coincided with the beginning of the industrial revolution in Europe in the late 19th century, which resulted in waves of urbanization to meet the demands of emerging manufacturing industries. This trend was replicated across the rest of the world as it industrialized over the following two centuries, and the most significant increase coincided with the industrialization of the most populous countries in Asia. In more developed economies, urbanization remains high even as economies de-industrialize, due to a variety of factors such as housing availability, labor demands in service industries, and social trends.

In 2024, approximately ***** percent of the population in Papua New Guinea were living in rural areas. In comparison, approximately **** percent of the population in Japan were living in rural areas that year. Urbanization and development Despite the desirable outcomes that urbanization entails, these rapid demographic shifts have also brought about unintended changes. For instance, in countries like India, rapid urbanization has led to unsustainable and crowded cities, with **** of the urban population in India estimated to live in slums. In China, population shifts from rural to urban areas have aggravated regional economic disparities. For example, the migration of workers into coastal cities has made possible the creation of urban clusters of immense economic magnitude, with the Yangtze River Delta city cluster accounting for about a ******of the country’s gross domestic product. Megacities and their future Home to roughly 60 percent of the world’s population, the Asia-Pacific region also shelters most of the globe’s largest urban agglomerations. Megacities, a term used for cities or urban areas with a population of over ten million people, are characterized by high cultural diversity and advanced infrastructure. As a result, they create better economic opportunities, and they are often hubs of innovation. For instance, many megacities in the Asia-Pacific region offer high local purchasing power to their residents. Despite challenges like pollution, income inequality, or the rising cost of living, megacities in the Asia-Pacific region have relatively high population growth rates and are expected to expand.

The average for 2024 based on 196 countries was 38.3 percent. The highest value was in Papua New Guinea: 86.12 percent and the lowest value was in Bermuda: 0 percent. The indicator is available from 1960 to 2024. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

Rural population (% of total population) in World was reported at 42.3 % in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. World - Rural population - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on November of 2025.

The average for 2023 based on 196 countries was 0.51 percent. The highest value was in India: 17.94 percent and the lowest value was in Andorra: 0 percent. The indicator is available from 1960 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

Over the past three decades, the share of the global population living in rural areas has decreased continuously. Since 2007, less than **** of the world's population lived in rural areas, a share that had dropped to ***** percent as of 2023. The urbanization is expected to continue over the coming decades.

The current US Census Bureau world population estimate in June 2019 shows that the current global population is 7,577,130,400 people on earth, which far exceeds the world population of 7.2 billion from 2015. Our own estimate based on UN data shows the world's population surpassing 7.7 billion.

China is the most populous country in the world with a population exceeding 1.4 billion. It is one of just two countries with a population of more than 1 billion, with India being the second. As of 2018, India has a population of over 1.355 billion people, and its population growth is expected to continue through at least 2050. By the year 2030, the country of India is expected to become the most populous country in the world. This is because India’s population will grow, while China is projected to see a loss in population.

The next 11 countries that are the most populous in the world each have populations exceeding 100 million. These include the United States, Indonesia, Brazil, Pakistan, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Russia, Mexico, Japan, Ethiopia, and the Philippines. Of these nations, all are expected to continue to grow except Russia and Japan, which will see their populations drop by 2030 before falling again significantly by 2050.

Many other nations have populations of at least one million, while there are also countries that have just thousands. The smallest population in the world can be found in Vatican City, where only 801 people reside.

In 2018, the world’s population growth rate was 1.12%. Every five years since the 1970s, the population growth rate has continued to fall. The world’s population is expected to continue to grow larger but at a much slower pace. By 2030, the population will exceed 8 billion. In 2040, this number will grow to more than 9 billion. In 2055, the number will rise to over 10 billion, and another billion people won’t be added until near the end of the century. The current annual population growth estimates from the United Nations are in the millions - estimating that over 80 million new lives are added each year.

This population growth will be significantly impacted by nine specific countries which are situated to contribute to the population growth more quickly than other nations. These nations include the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, and the United States of America. Particularly of interest, India is on track to overtake China's position as the most populous country by the year 2030. Additionally, multiple nations within Africa are expected to double their populations before fertility rates begin to slow entirely.

Global life expectancy has also improved in recent years, increasing the overall population life expectancy at birth to just over 70 years of age. The projected global life expectancy is only expected to continue to improve - reaching nearly 77 years of age by the year 2050. Significant factors impacting the data on life expectancy include the projections of the ability to reduce AIDS/HIV impact, as well as reducing the rates of infectious and non-communicable diseases.

Population aging has a massive impact on the ability of the population to maintain what is called a support ratio. One key finding from 2017 is that the majority of the world is going to face considerable growth in the 60 plus age bracket. This will put enormous strain on the younger age groups as the elderly population is becoming so vast without the number of births to maintain a healthy support ratio.

Although the number given above seems very precise, it is important to remember that it is just an estimate. It simply isn't possible to be sure exactly how many people there are on the earth at any one time, and there are conflicting estimates of the global population in 2016.

Some, including the UN, believe that a population of 7 billion was reached in October 2011. Others, including the US Census Bureau and World Bank, believe that the total population of the world reached 7 billion in 2012, around March or April.

Globally, about 25 percent of the population is under 15 years of age and 10 percent is over 65 years of age. Africa has the youngest population worldwide. In Sub-Saharan Africa, more than 40 percent of the population is below 15 years, and only three percent are above 65, indicating the low life expectancy in several of the countries. In Europe, on the other hand, a higher share of the population is above 65 years than the population under 15 years. Fertility rates The high share of children and youth in Africa is connected to the high fertility rates on the continent. For instance, South Sudan and Niger have the highest population growth rates globally. However, about 50 percent of the world’s population live in countries with low fertility, where women have less than 2.1 children. Some countries in Europe, like Latvia and Lithuania, have experienced a population decline of one percent, and in the Cook Islands, it is even above two percent. In Europe, the majority of the population was previously working-aged adults with few dependents, but this trend is expected to reverse soon, and it is predicted that by 2050, the older population will outnumber the young in many developed countries. Growing global population As of 2025, there are 8.1 billion people living on the planet, and this is expected to reach more than nine billion before 2040. Moreover, the global population is expected to reach 10 billions around 2060, before slowing and then even falling slightly by 2100. As the population growth rates indicate, a significant share of the population increase will happen in Africa.

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driven primarily by high birth rates in developing countries and advancements in healthcare. According to the United Nations, the global population surpassed 8 billion in 2023, marking a critical milestone in human history. This growth, however, is unevenly distributed across continents and countries, leading to varied population densities and urban pressures.

Surface area and population density play vital roles in shaping the demographic and economic landscape of each country. For instance, countries with large land masses such as Russia, Canada, and Australia have low population densities despite their significant populations, as vast portions of their land are sparsely populated or uninhabitable. Conversely, nations like Bangladesh and South Korea exhibit extremely high population densities due to smaller land areas combined with large populations.

Population density, measured as the number of people per square kilometer, affects resource availability, environmental sustainability, and quality of life. High-density areas face greater challenges in housing, infrastructure, and environmental management, often experiencing increased pollution and resource strain. In contrast, low-density areas may struggle with underdeveloped infrastructure and limited access to services due to the dispersed population.

Urbanization trends are another important aspect of these dynamics. As people migrate to cities seeking better economic opportunities, urban areas grow more densely populated, amplifying the need for efficient land use and sustainable urban planning. The UN reports that over half of the world’s population currently resides in urban areas, with this figure expected to rise to nearly 70% by 2050. This shift requires nations to balance population growth and density with sustainable development strategies to ensure a higher quality of life and environmental stewardship for future generations.

Through an understanding of population size, surface area, and density, policymakers can better address challenges related to urban development, rural depopulation, and resource allocation, supporting a balanced approach to population management and economic development.

Context The current US Census Bureau world population estimate in June 2019 shows that the current global population is 7,577,130,400 people on earth, which far exceeds the world population of 7.2 billion in 2015. Our own estimate based on UN data shows the world's population surpassing 7.7 billion.

China is the most populous country in the world with a population exceeding 1.4 billion. It is one of just two countries with a population of more than 1 billion, with India being the second. As of 2018, India has a population of over 1.355 billion people, and its population growth is expected to continue through at least 2050. By the year 2030, the country of India is expected to become the most populous country in the world. This is because India’s population will grow, while China is projected to see a loss in population.

The following 11 countries that are the most populous in the world each have populations exceeding 100 million. These include the United States, Indonesia, Brazil, Pakistan, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Russia, Mexico, Japan, Ethiopia, and the Philippines. Of these nations, all are expected to continue to grow except Russia and Japan, which will see their populations drop by 2030 before falling again significantly by 2050.

Many other nations have populations of at least one million, while there are also countries that have just thousands. The smallest population in the world can be found in Vatican City, where only 801 people reside.

In 2018, the world’s population growth rate was 1.12%. Every five years since the 1970s, the population growth rate has continued to fall. The world’s population is expected to continue to grow larger but at a much slower pace. By 2030, the population will exceed 8 billion. In 2040, this number will grow to more than 9 billion. In 2055, the number will rise to over 10 billion, and another billion people won’t be added until near the end of the century. The current annual population growth estimates from the United Nations are in the millions - estimating that over 80 million new lives are added each year.

This population growth will be significantly impacted by nine specific countries which are situated to contribute to the population growing more quickly than other nations. These nations include the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, and the United States of America. Particularly of interest, India is on track to overtake China's position as the most populous country by 2030. Additionally, multiple nations within Africa are expected to double their populations before fertility rates begin to slow entirely.

Content In this Dataset, we have Historical Population data for every Country/Territory in the world by different parameters like Area Size of the Country/Territory, Name of the Continent, Name of the Capital, Density, Population Growth Rate, Ranking based on Population, World Population Percentage, etc.

In 2024, about 943.5 million people lived in urban regions in China and 464.8 million in rural. That year, the country had a total population of approximately 1.41 billion people. As of 2024, China was the second most populous country in the world. Urbanization in China Urbanization refers to the process by which people move from rural to urban areas and how a society adapts to the population shift. It is usually seen as a driving force in economic growth, accompanied by industrialization, modernization and the spread of education. Urbanization levels tend to be higher in industrial countries, whereas the degree of urbanization in developing countries remains relatively low. According to World Bank, a mere 19.4 percent of the Chinese population had been living in urban areas in 1980. Since then, China’s urban population has skyrocketed. By 2024, about 67 percent of the Chinese population lived in urban areas. Regional urbanization rates In the last decades, urbanization has progressed greatly in every region of China. Even in most of the more remote Chinese provinces, the urbanization rate surpassed 50 percent in recent years. However, the most urbanized areas are still to be found in the coastal eastern and southern regions of China. The population of Shanghai, the largest city in China and the world’s seventh largest city ranged at around 24 million people in 2023. China’s urban areas are characterized by a developing middle class. Per capita disposable income of Chinese urban households has more than doubled between 2010 and 2020. The emerging middle class is expected to become a significant driver for the continuing growth of the Chinese economy.

Abstract

The World Values Survey (www.worldvaluessurvey.org) is a global network of social scientists studying changing values and their impact on social and political life, led by an international team of scholars, with the WVS association and secretariat headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden. The survey, which started in 1981, seeks to use the most rigorous, high-quality research designs in each country. The WVS consists of nationally representative surveys conducted in almost 100 countries which contain almost 90 percent of the world’s population, using a common questionnaire. The WVS is the largest non-commercial, cross-national, time series investigation of human beliefs and values ever executed, currently including interviews with almost 400,000 respondents. Moreover the WVS is the only academic study covering the full range of global variations, from very poor to very rich countries, in all of the world’s major cultural zones. The WVS seeks to help scientists and policy makers understand changes in the beliefs, values and motivations of people throughout the world. Thousands of political scientists, sociologists, social psychologists, anthropologists and economists have used these data to analyze such topics as economic development, democratization, religion, gender equality, social capital, and subjective well-being. These data have also been widely used by government officials, journalists and students, and groups at the World Bank have analyzed the linkages between cultural factors and economic development.

Geographic coverage

The survey covers Egypt.

Analysis unit

• Household
• Individual

Universe

The WVS for Egypt covers national population aged 18 years and over, for both sexes.

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

1- The sampling frame is the extended roaster of households for the post enumeration survey of the 2006 Census.

2- This frame covered all governorates (except the five frontiers Governorates hosting about 1.8% of the total population), within about 480 segments (average 100 HH).

3- To reduce sampling error, it was only to select 25 HH from each segment to increase the number of segments selected from each Governorate and that Number of segments was proportional to its size according to the 2006 population census.

1. Within Governorates, rural/urban parts were represented by selecting separately the number of segments proportional to its population share according to the 2006 census. Overall, a total of 122 segments were selected (out of which 56 from Urban areas and the balance from Rural areas of each Governorate), thus drawing a self-weighted sample for each Governorate based on its share of the 2006 population census.

2. The sample size was set to be 3000 individuals, to reduce sampling error and to ensure having estimates of adequate precision. The sampling unit would be the individuals 18 years old and over.

3. Both segments were selected separately from the frame of Urban/Rural area for each Governorate using systematic random sampling.

4. Households were also selected within segments (25 households from each segment) using systematic random sampling.

5. Due to rounding, the total number of segments rose to 122 segment, (and the sample size rose to 3050 individuals).

Remarks about sampling:

• The sample tended to be biased to females, as they were represented by 62% of the total sample. So weights was computed to modify the distribution of males and females, according to their distribution in the population. Basically, interviews would be conducted with the head of the household, if he/she exists and is able to answer the questionnaire. If not, another member of the household (who is 18 years or older) would answer the questionnaire. In every segment there was an alternative sample, that was also randomly selected, if an appropriate person within the household, was not available to answer the questionnaire, an alternative sampling unit would be selected. The alternative sample represented only 3.3% of the total sample.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

For each wave, suggestions for questions are solicited by social scientists from all over the world and a final master questionnaire is developed in English. Since the start in 1981 each successive wave has covered a broader range of societies than the previous one. Analysis of the data from each wave has indicated that certain questions tapped interesting and important concepts while others were of little value. This has led to the more useful questions or themes being replicated in future waves while the less useful ones have been dropped making room for new questions. The questionnaire is translated into the various national languages and in many cases independently translated back to English to check the accuracy of the translation. In most countries, the translated questionnaire is pre-tested to help identify questions for which the translation is problematic. In some cases certain problematic questions are omitted from the national questionnaire. WVS requires implementation of the common questionnaire fully and faithfully, in all countries included into one wave. Any alteration to the original questionnaire has to be approved by the EC. Omission of no more than a maximum of 12 questions in any given country can be allowed.

Response rate

3050 Total number of starting names/addresses 3050 - full productive interview

Abstract

The World Values Survey (www.worldvaluessurvey.org) is a global network of social scientists studying changing values and their impact on social and political life, led by an international team of scholars, with the WVS association and secretariat headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden.

The survey, which started in 1981, seeks to use the most rigorous, high-quality research designs in each country. The WVS consists of nationally representative surveys conducted in almost 100 countries which contain almost 90 percent of the world’s population, using a common questionnaire. The WVS is the largest non-commercial, cross-national, time series investigation of human beliefs and values ever executed, currently including interviews with almost 400,000 respondents. Moreover the WVS is the only academic study covering the full range of global variations, from very poor to very rich countries, in all of the world’s major cultural zones.

The WVS seeks to help scientists and policy makers understand changes in the beliefs, values and motivations of people throughout the world. Thousands of political scientists, sociologists, social psychologists, anthropologists and economists have used these data to analyze such topics as economic development, democratization, religion, gender equality, social capital, and subjective well-being. These data have also been widely used by government officials, journalists and students, and groups at the World Bank have analyzed the linkages between cultural factors and economic development.

Geographic coverage

National

Analysis unit

Household Individual

Universe

National Population, Both sexes,18 and more years.

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

Sample size: 1200

In this survey, the face to face interviews technique was used in collecting the data where data collectors go to the selected area under the supervision of the field work supervisor. The targeted areas were pre-selected areas. The selection of houses/apartment where been done in the field work, a systematic random sample technique was used to locate the houses. In selecting the person inside each selected house, Kish table were used to guarantee the randomness in the selection process. The studied population in the Stratified Cluster Sample was divided as follows: 1- Administrative divisions of the regions (provinces, districts, etc…): Each province was given a share of the sample in proportion to the total amount of the population. 2- Class divisions: the population was divided into classes (urban, rural, desert), and these divisions was taken into account within each province. So, this division gives the rural population a share of the sample proportion to its share in the total population. 3- Smaller communities within each division: In Jordan there is a division of the population by region and blocks and there is available maps of those region/blocks, such division would be the ideal choice for the selection of the sample, since these region/blocks are the basic units/’primary sampling unit’ (PSU) of the sample which must be randomly selected, taking into account the population size.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

For each wave, suggestions for questions are solicited by social scientists from all over the world and a final master questionnaire is developed in English. Since the start in 1981 each successive wave has covered a broader range of societies than the previous one. Analysis of the data from each wave has indicated that certain questions tapped interesting and important concepts while others were of little value. This has led to the more useful questions or themes being replicated in future waves while the less useful ones have been dropped making room for new questions.

The questionnaire is translated into the various national languages and in many cases independently translated back to English to check the accuracy of the translation. In most countries, the translated questionnaire is pre-tested to help identify questions for which the translation is problematic. In some cases certain problematic questions are omitted from the national questionnaire.

WVS requires implementation of the common questionnaire fully and faithfully, in all countries included into one wave. Any alteration to the original questionnaire has to be approved by the EC. Omission of no more than a maximum of 12 questions in any given country can be allowed.

Response rate

Usually the response rate is 100%. A substitution usually taken in advance in case of non-response

Sampling error estimates

Estimated error: 2.9

The total population of the G7 countries made up less than *** percent of the world's total population as of 2025. Moreover, it has been decreasing since 2000, which is mainly because the population of other countries such as India and China has been growing during the same period. Despite this, they make up around ** percent of the world's GDP.

Abstract

The World Values Survey (www.worldvaluessurvey.org) is a global network of social scientists studying changing values and their impact on social and political life, led by an international team of scholars, with the WVS association and secretariat headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden.

The survey, which started in 1981, seeks to use the most rigorous, high-quality research designs in each country. The WVS consists of nationally representative surveys conducted in almost 100 countries which contain almost 90 percent of the world’s population, using a common questionnaire. The WVS is the largest non-commercial, cross-national, time series investigation of human beliefs and values ever executed, currently including interviews with almost 400,000 respondents. Moreover the WVS is the only academic study covering the full range of global variations, from very poor to very rich countries, in all of the world’s major cultural zones.

The WVS seeks to help scientists and policy makers understand changes in the beliefs, values and motivations of people throughout the world. Thousands of political scientists, sociologists, social psychologists, anthropologists and economists have used these data to analyze such topics as economic development, democratization, religion, gender equality, social capital, and subjective well-being. These data have also been widely used by government officials, journalists and students, and groups at the World Bank have analyzed the linkages between cultural factors and economic development.

Geographic coverage

National

Analysis unit

Household Individual

Universe

National Population, both sexes, 21 and more years.

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

Sample size 2000.

The different stages in the sampling procedure were: At first stage, districts were selected randomly from all the four provinces. At next stage enumerated blocks of households and villages were selected randomly. The households were selected at third stage and finally the individual was selected at the final stage to be interviewed. The sampled unit we got from the office sampling was the household and the selection method that was used to identify a respondent was a list of all the available members of age 21 + and one was selected randomly. There were some quota-controls permitted and substitution was permitted as already was mentioned. In general, it has been used a combination of purposive sampling, random sampling and quota sampling in four provinces in Pakistan. In addition to that, it has been used a clear rural-urban distinction. According to the latest figures, the rural population is about 50% of the total country population. So 50% of the sample has been drawn from rural areas. It is included the same number of male and female respondents in the sample.

Remarks about sampling: - Final numbers of clusters or sampling points: 2000 - Sample unit from office sampling: Household

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

The WVS questionnaire was translated from the English questionnaire by a member of the research team. The translated questionnaire was then back-translated into English and also was pre-tested. There were no questions that caused problems when the questionnaire was translated. The questionnaire that was used to make the questionnaire was the Islamic Version of WVS questionnaire. A battery of questions regarding the September 11 events was included in the questionnaire. The question numbers are 140-155 in the questionnaire. However, no country-specific questions were included. The sample was designed to be representative of the entire adult population, i.e. 18 years and older, of your country. The lower age cut-off for the sample was 21 and there was not any upper age cut-off for the sample.

Response rate

A total number of starting names/addresses were done 2000. - Selected Respondent Refusal 25. - Proxy refusal (on behalf of selected respondent) 7 - Personal refusal by selected respondent 18 - Full productive interview: 2000

Sampling error estimates

Estimated error: 2.2

Abstract

The World Values Survey (www.worldvaluessurvey.org) is a global network of social scientists studying changing values and their impact on social and political life, led by an international team of scholars, with the WVS association and secretariat headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden. The survey, which started in 1981, seeks to use the most rigorous, high-quality research designs in each country. The WVS consists of nationally representative surveys conducted in almost 100 countries which contain almost 90 percent of the world’s population, using a common questionnaire. The WVS is the largest non-commercial, cross-national, time series investigation of human beliefs and values ever executed, currently including interviews with almost 400,000 respondents. Moreover the WVS is the only academic study covering the full range of global variations, from very poor to very rich countries, in all of the world’s major cultural zones. The WVS seeks to help scientists and policy makers understand changes in the beliefs, values and motivations of people throughout the world. Thousands of political scientists, sociologists, social psychologists, anthropologists and economists have used these data to analyze such topics as economic development, democratization, religion, gender equality, social capital, and subjective well-being. These data have also been widely used by government officials, journalists and students, and groups at the World Bank have analyzed the linkages between cultural factors and economic development.

Geographic coverage

The survey covers Mexico.

Analysis unit

• Household
• Individual

Universe

The WVS for Mexico covers national population aged 18 years and over for both sexes.

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

The Mexico 2005 survey used a multi-stage sampling procedure. Interviewers selected an adult using a random selection method. However, we also employed control quotas according to sex and age this practice was more common in rural areas, where the male population is more difficult to find at home during interviewing hours. Interviewers made sure that respondents were at least 18 years old, that they lived in the selected household. Interviews were all conducted in-home.

Remarks about sampling: The first stage was the selection of polling points based on the list of electoral sections defined by the Federal Elections Institute. The sections were previously stratified as urban (70 percent), and rural and mixed (30 percent). Each section is relatively homogeneous in size, with about 1,092 registered voters in 63,810 sections that cover all the countrys adult population. Respondents included, of course, also adults nonregistered as voters. We selected 130 electoral sections in a systematically random fashion in each stratum, based on the list arranged proportionally to size of population. In the second stage we selected the household with a systematic random selection, based on a standard strategy of walking around the housing districts selected in the sample. In the third stage, interviewers selected an adult respondent in each household. We used control quotas based on sex and age in districts where random selection of interviewers was disproportionately leaning towards a specific group. Each polling point represents 12 interviews, and quota control established that 6 were male respondents and 6 women respondents, to ensure an appropriate distribution, especially in areas where some specific group is difficult to reach during the hours of interviewing (i.e. rural towns and communities). The Mexican countryside presents problems, for example, to reach male populations during the day in their households. In terms of age, the following quotas were employed where needed: 4 out of 12 were 18 to 29 years old; 5 out of 12 were 30 to 49 years old, and 3 out of 12 were 50 years old or older. We substituted four of the originally selected addresses; three in rural areas and one in an urban area. In the rural cases, the interviewers were not able to get to them because of the absence of roads and transportation. In the urban case, the polling point was substituted because the neighborhood represented serious safety problems at the time of the survey. All the polling points were substituted with addresses with the same socioeconomic level, in the same region, state and electoral district. Substitution of households and respondents were also employed, in the cases where either one of them was registered as a no contact or a refusal and remained under those categories after call backs or returns. Interviewers kept record of non response items (no contact, refusals, suspension) at every time.

The sample size for Mexico is N=1560 and includes the national population aged 18 years and over for both sexes.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

English and Spanish Questionnaires. The Mexico 2005 questionnaire includes these additional questions:

• Main television news broadcast R watches: v229a (placed between v229 Rs information sources and v230 how often R uses a personal computer).
• Voting intentions for President: v233b to v233c (placed between v233 party R would never vote for and v234 party R voted for federal deputy in 2003). In this question, interviewers used a secret-ballot method with the names of the candidates and the party logos.
• Party identification: v233a (placed between v222 party R would never vote for and v223 party R voted for federal deputy in 2003)
• Items on Mexicos economic relationships: v234a to v234d (placed between v234 party R voted for federal deputy in 2003 and v235 gender.
• Items on the relationship between Mexico and United States: v234a to v234d (placed between v234 party R voted for federal deputy in 2003 and v235 gender) -Items on underground economy: v247a to v247c (placed between v247 Does R supervise people in his job and v248 Is R the chief wage earner) v248 Is R the chief wage earner)

Response rate

Total number of starting names/addresses (electoral sections) 130 No contact at selected address (households) 1759 No contact with selected person 1084 Refusal at selected address 667 Personal refusal by selected respondent 824 Full productive interview 1560 Break Off 52 No elegible respondent 357 Quota filled 999

Remarks about non-response: Electoral sections are a reliable sampling unit in Mexico. Between 95 and 97 percent of all adult population is reachable using the electoral sections as sampling frame. The sample distribution in Mexico does not appear to have any known limitations. Non response rate is 70%, including no contacts and refusals.

The world's population first reached one billion people in 1805, and reached eight billion in 2022, and will peak at almost 10.2 billion by the end of the century. Although it took thousands of years to reach one billion people, it did so at the beginning of a phenomenon known as the demographic transition; from this point onwards, population growth has skyrocketed, and since the 1960s the population has increased by one billion people every 12 to 15 years. The demographic transition sees a sharp drop in mortality due to factors such as vaccination, sanitation, and improved food supply; the population boom that follows is due to increased survival rates among children and higher life expectancy among the general population; and fertility then drops in response to this population growth. Regional differences The demographic transition is a global phenomenon, but it has taken place at different times across the world. The industrialized countries of Europe and North America were the first to go through this process, followed by some states in the Western Pacific. Latin America's population then began growing at the turn of the 20th century, but the most significant period of global population growth occurred as Asia progressed in the late-1900s. As of the early 21st century, almost two-thirds of the world's population lives in Asia, although this is set to change significantly in the coming decades. Future growth The growth of Africa's population, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, will have the largest impact on global demographics in this century. From 2000 to 2100, it is expected that Africa's population will have increased by a factor of almost five. It overtook Europe in size in the late 1990s, and overtook the Americas a few years later. In contrast to Africa, Europe's population is now in decline, as birth rates are consistently below death rates in many countries, especially in the south and east, resulting in natural population decline. Similarly, the population of the Americas and Asia are expected to go into decline in the second half of this century, and only Oceania's population will still be growing alongside Africa. By 2100, the world's population will have over three billion more than today, with the vast majority of this concentrated in Africa. Demographers predict that climate change is exacerbating many of the challenges that currently hinder progress in Africa, such as political and food instability; if Africa's transition is prolonged, then it may result in further population growth that would place a strain on the region's resources, however, curbing this growth earlier would alleviate some of the pressure created by climate change.

Scale-adjusted metrics (SAMs) are a significant achievement of the urban scaling hypothesis. SAMs remove the inherent biases of per capita measures computed in the absence of isometric allometries. However, this approach is limited to urban areas, while a large portion of the world’s population still lives outside cities and rural areas dominate land use worldwide. Here, we extend the concept of SAMs to population density scale-adjusted metrics (DSAMs) to reveal relationships among different types of crime and property metrics. Our approach allows all human environments to be considered, avoids problems in the definition of urban areas, and accounts for the heterogeneity of population distributions within urban regions. By combining DSAMs, cross-correlation, and complex network analysis, we find that crime and property types have intricate and hierarchically organized relationships leading to some striking conclusions. Drugs and burglary had uncorrelated DSAMs and, to the extent property transaction values are indicators of affluence, twelve out of fourteen crime metrics showed no evidence of specifically targeting affluence. Burglary and robbery were the most connected in our network analysis and the modular structures suggest an alternative to “zero-tolerance” policies by unveiling the crime and/or property types most likely to affect each other.

Abstract

The World Values Survey (www.worldvaluessurvey.org) is a global network of social scientists studying changing values and their impact on social and political life, led by an international team of scholars, with the WVS association and secretariat headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden.

The survey, which started in 1981, seeks to use the most rigorous, high-quality research designs in each country. The WVS consists of nationally representative surveys conducted in almost 100 countries which contain almost 90 percent of the world’s population, using a common questionnaire. The WVS is the largest non-commercial, cross-national, time series investigation of human beliefs and values ever executed, currently including interviews with almost 400,000 respondents. Moreover the WVS is the only academic study covering the full range of global variations, from very poor to very rich countries, in all of the world’s major cultural zones.

The WVS seeks to help scientists and policy makers understand changes in the beliefs, values and motivations of people throughout the world. Thousands of political scientists, sociologists, social psychologists, anthropologists and economists have used these data to analyze such topics as economic development, democratization, religion, gender equality, social capital, and subjective well-being. These data have also been widely used by government officials, journalists and students, and groups at the World Bank have analyzed the linkages between cultural factors and economic development.

Geographic coverage

National.

Analysis unit

Household Individual

Universe

National Population, both sexes,18 and more years.

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

Sample size: 1002

The interviews were allocated to both the rural and urban sample. For each of these there is a male and female split and a total sample. The total sample is split up between actual amount of interviews and the number of sampling points per province. For the Lira province, 36 interviews must be conducted in rural areas in total, which means that 6 sample points need to be drawn for rural Lira.

The sample had to be representative of urban as well as rural populations. Roughly the distribution was as follows: Uganda: 30% urban; 70% rural . A standard form of sampling instructions was sent to each agency to ensure uniformity in the sampling procedure. Markinor stratified the samples for each country by region, sex and community size. To this end, statistics and figures that were supplied to us by the agencies were used. However, we requested the agencies to revise these where necessary or where alternatives would be more effective. The agencies then supplied the street names for the urban starting points, and made suggestions for sampling procedures in rural areas where neither maps nor street names were available. From sample-point level, the respondent selection was done randomly according to a selection grid used by Markinor (the first two pages of the master questionnaire). Substitution was permitted after three unsuccessful calls. Six interviews were conducted at each sample point. The male/female split was 50/50.

Remarks about sampling: Selecting de rural points: Due to the fact that there is so many rural points, we use the method of selecting smalls towns and then conducting the interviews within a 20km radius of the boundaries of the selected town.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

The WVS questionnaire was translated from the English questionnaire by a specialist translator The translated questionnaire was pre-tested. The pre-tests were part of the general pilots. In total 20 pilots were conducted. The English questionnaire from the University of Michigan was used for make the WVS. Extra questions were added at the end of the questionnaire. Also, country specific questions were included at the end of the questionnaire, just before the demographics. The sample was designed to be representative of the entire adult population, i.e. 18 years and older, of the country. The lower age cut-off for the sample was 18 and there was not any upper age cut-off for the sample.

Sampling error estimates

Estimated error: 3.2

In 2025, the degree of urbanization worldwide was at 58 percent. North America, Latin America, and the Caribbean were the regions with the highest level of urbanization, with over four-fifths of the population residing in urban areas. The degree of urbanization defines the share of the population living in areas defined as "cities". On the other hand, less than half of Africa's population lives in urban settlements. Globally, China accounts for over one-quarter of the built-up areas of more than 500,000 inhabitants. The definition of a city differs across various world regions - some countries count settlements with 100 houses or more as urban, while others only include the capital of a country or provincial capitals in their count. Largest agglomerations worldwideThough North America is the most urbanized continent, no U.S. city was among the top ten urban agglomerations worldwide in 2023. Tokyo-Yokohama in Japan was the largest urban area in the world that year, with 37.7 million inhabitants. New York ranked 13th, with 21.4 million inhabitants. Eight of the 10 most populous cities are located in Asia. ConnectivityIt may be hard to imagine how the reality will look in 2050, with 70 percent of the global population living in cities, but some statistics illustrate the ways urban living differs from suburban and rural living. American urbanites may lead more “connected” (i.e., internet-connected) lives than their rural and/or suburban counterparts. As of 2021, around 89 percent of people living in urban areas owned a smartphone. Internet usage was also higher in cities than in rural areas. On the other hand, rural areas always have, and always will, attract those who want to escape the rush of the city.