Bangladesh has been urbanizing much faster than its neighbors

The biggest migration story of the past few centuries has not been from country to country but from rural areas to cities.

In 1960, one-third of the world’s population lived in urban areas. This share is now closing in on 60%. By contrast, <4% of the global population are international migrants.

But some countries are urbanizing much more quickly than others. Bangladesh is one example of a country that has experienced much faster internal migration than its South Asian neighbors. You can see this on the chart.

In 1972, just 8% of people in Bangladesh lived in towns and cities. This share has more than quadrupled to 40%.