Cities in a global perspective, Applying the Degree of Urbanisation

Since the endorsement by the UN Statistical Commission in 2020, a wide range of international organisations has been supporting the implementation of the Degree of Urbanisation. This new method to define cities has already been implemented by over 50 countries. This event will showcase the progress that has been made and describe the support available to countries to implement this new method. It will also feature presentations from two countries that have recently implemented this new method. The potential countries include Chile, Colombia, Egypt, Indonesia, Kenya, Korea, Malawi, Mexico, Lebanon, Tunisia and Turkiye.

The event will also highlight the growing number of indicators, including SDG indicators, that are becoming available through surveys, censuses and remote sensing. The free and open access to these indicators can help cities monitor progress and compare themselves to other cities in the world.

Finally, this event will launch a new open and free database that covers all the cities in the world in a harmonised manner. It includes more than 100 indicators and several Sustainable Development Goal indicators.