Hosur, located in the Krishnagiri district of Tamil Nadu, has been ranked number 13 in the world among the list of cities with the fastest population growth with an annual growth rate of 5.38%, according to a report by online publisher Visual Capitalist. The report states that by 2025, the world’s population will reach over 8.1 billion, and most of this growth will be concentrated in cities across Africa and Asia. It has used data from the United Nations to rank the top 20 fastest growing cities in the world in terms of average annual population growth rate from 2020 to 2025.
"Located on the border of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, Hosur is situated at 3,000 feet above sea level and is one of India’s top industrial hubs with close to 2,300 small- and medium-scale industries. It also houses manufacturing units of large companies like Titan and TVS Motors. Situated predominantly in the Tamil Nadu region, the people here speak Kannada and Telugu, besides Tamil," says the description. Hosur is situated in Tamil Nadu's Krishnagiri district. Though the town had just around 1.10 lakh population according to the 2011 census, it has grown considerably over the last few years. In 2019, Hosur was declared a corporation by the TN government. It also houses a SIPCOT township.
Further, as per the report, the majority of the world’s fastest-growing cities demographically are located in Africa, with 17 of the top 20 located on the continent, while four of the 20 cities are located in Nigeria. Population growth is booming across the entire continent as many countries retain high birth rates, the report said. Citing the World Bank, the report mentions that the 2019 fertility rate (births per woman) in Sub-Saharan Africa was 4.6, compared to the global fertility rate of 2.4.
“All the top 20 fastest growing cities are located in either Africa or Asia, and they are far outpacing growth on other continents, such as Europe, for example. By 2050, Sub-Saharan Africa will be home to close to 2 billion people and roughly half will be under the age of 25. This represents an enormous labour force and opportunities for innovation and growth,” the report adds.
The report points out that in spite of the economic potential, increased city sizes could be problematic for some of these countries, and they will need to adapt to the issues associated with mass urbanisation, like pollution, overcrowding, and high costs of living.