11 Fastest Growing Cities in the World

Overall growth is quite noticeable in these 11 fastest growing cities in the world. While some cities have reached the peak of growth and are settling down, there are some cities that have been catching up. Some of them have even been doing so at a frightening pace. Growth in population and size can prove to be advantageous to a city, provided they have enough resources and good management to back things up. Most of the cities listed here aren’t ones we hear of regularly. The countries they reside in may be a few of the rising stars and powers in today’s world.

You won’t find large growth numbers in most developed countries, the reason is that they’ve reached a point where they can easily manage their growth and develop slowly. For others, it’s a matter of economy that seems to have stunted their growth. However, there are still some exceptions to the trend as you may notice with this list of 10 Fastest Growing Cities in America in 2015. Urban centers seem to experience the highest growth being the ones where populations mostly center on. There is of course an opposite end of the spectrum where economy and population aren’t doing well so their city declines.

This list is ranked based on a combined weight of employment increase and GDP per capita in relation to their current economic performance. The information was compiled by Insider Monkey from a study done by the Global Metro Monitor program of the Brookings Institution that was made comparing the 2013-2014 year. We’ll probably give you updates of this once another study appears by 2016. The cities listed here have seen the most changes in recent years and their growth is expected to continue climbing. Let’s find out more about these 11 fastest growing cities in the world.

11. Ankara, Turkey

Combine GDP and Employment Growth: 6.8%

Turkey has been one of the countries of which economy has been growing exponentially. The growth is comparable to cities of China. Ankara continues to attract a lot of foreign investors and their favorable position and growing working class seems to be contributing to that.

10. Bursa, Turkey

Combine GDP and Employment Growth: 8.2%

Bursa is one of the largest and most populated cities in Turkey. It is the center of the automotive industry in the country which is also responsible for a bit of their economic growth. They also have strong textile and food industries.

9. Istanbul, Turkey

Combine GDP and Employment Growth: 8.7%

One of the largest and most populated cities in the world, Istanbul has been growing steadily in both population and economy. The once former city of Constantinople may see a rise in power again, though it would be hard to replicate the same prestige they once had.

8. Izmir, Turkey

Combine GDP and Employment Growth: 8.6%

At the western corner of Turkey one finds the city of Izmir. The city had once been one of the Ottoman empire’s main trading cities. Though trade remains relatively strong for the city, the economy is highly boosted by different industries.

7. Dubai, UAE

Combine GDP and Employment Growth: 9.2%

If there’s one city that’s the epitome of growth, it probably has to be Dubai. The city of luxury and artistic prowess was made out of a deserted and almost uninhabitable area. So much construction has been made in the last five years that people have mostly forgotten what Dubai was like before.

6. Urumqi, China

Combine GDP and Employment Growth: 10.1%

Also known as Wulumuqi, this city has been one of the reasons for China’s incredible economic growth of years passed. The city’s economy has been increasing since 2012 and is responsible for one of the highest GDP’s in the country.

We have more cities to explore as we continue this list of 11 fastest growing cities in the world.

5. Hangzhou, China

Combine GDP and Employment Growth: 10.3%

Though Chinese economy has been the lowest it’s been for awhile, Hangzhou remains as one of the images of China’s growth and prosperity. The city is a technology capital and is home to a lot of globally renowned companies.

4. Fuzhou, China

Combine GDP and Employment Growth: 10.7%

Formerly known as Foochow, this city is one of the largest in China. The city is a center for different industries like food processing, engineering and printing. Fuzhou is the most developed and is considered the center for politics, culture and arts in the Fujian province.

3. Kunming, China

Combine GDP and Employment Growth: 11%

Translated as the “City of Eternal Spring”, the growing city has been receiving an influx of immigrants from nearby provinces and cities. Numerous sectors from the city have been noted to be a big contributing factor to the economic growth.

2. Xiamen, China

Combine GDP and Employment Growth: 11.2%

Known as the most romantic and leisure city of 2011, Xiamen is one of the most historical places in the country. Economy here is well developed and diverse. They have numerous industries, like textiles, food processing, and chemical.

1. Macau, China

Combine GDP and Employment Growth: 12.2%

Macau has been known as a mecca for tourism and gambling and is the city responsible for a large chunk of the economic growth in China. Popularity continues to increase for the city and they may yet again think of expansion in order to accommodate this growth.

This has been the list of 11 fastest growing cities in the world. These are the cities to look out for in the coming years.