Mogadishu second on Demographia’s ranking of fastest growing cities in the world

The fastest growing city in the world is Batam in Indonesia … or Niamey in Niger … or maybe Xiamen in China. It all depends on who you ask.

Batam is the fastest-growing city in the world by population, according to US-based consultancy Demographia, which bases its annual Demographia World Urban Areas ranking largely on the United Nations’ 2010-20 world population forecasts – but only includes cities with a population of 1 million or more. Batam is close to Singapore and operates as a transport hub and industrial area, while a free-trade zone boosts trade with the island city-state. Batam had a population of 1.1 million in the latest estimate, with an annual growth of 7.4%.

Second on Demographia’s ranking is Mogadishu in Somalia, with a population of 2.1 million, growing at 6.9%. Mogadishu’s growth is driven by its improving security situation and economic prospects after decades of civil war – many Somalis have returned from abroad.

In third place is Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso, with a population of 2.7 million and growth of 6.8%. The country as a whole is vulnerable to fluctuations in commodity prices, but its capital is benefiting from investment in infrastructure.