By 2050, the world economy will revolve around 600 cities — Kjell Nordström

By 2050, 80–85% of the world’s population will live in cities. This was stated by Swedish economist and management expert Kjell A. Nordström during an event held in Baku.

According to him, currently 64% of the population lives in cities and 36% in rural areas. If this trend continues, people will be concentrated on just 2% of the planet’s land surface.

“One hundred years ago, only 10% of the population lived in cities. Today, this figure has reached 64%. Over the next 20 years, it will rise to 85%,” Nordström said.

The expert noted that in the future, the global economy will revolve not around 4,000 cities, but around approximately 600 cities, which will account for 90% of global economic activity.

He pointed out that Istanbul already has a population of 14 million, while Tokyo has 37.6 million people, and by 2050, Tokyo’s population is expected to reach 52 million.

Nordström emphasized that the process of urbanization is not only a geographic shift but also a profound transformation of economic and social structures.

“This process is unfolding worldwide, regardless of politics, religion, or the political color of governments,” he stated.

He also stressed that technology will not be able to alter this trend.

“Cities offer people hope — the hope to find a good job, to start a business, to find a life partner. Technology cannot replace that,” Nordström added.

As an example, he cited Siemens’ new strategy, noting that major corporations are shifting from multinational to multi-urban models, planning their activities not by countries but by cities.

“We are leaving the era of nation-states and entering the age of cities,” he concluded.

N. Tebrizli