Why is it growing?

• Mumbai has seen significant growth in its population between 1950 and 2020
• In 1950 the population of Mumbai was around 3 million
• By 2020 the population of Mumbai had reached an estimated 20 million, making it the 9th largest city by population in the world
• Mumbai's population is predicted to continue to grow in the future
• Natural increase


  The difference between the birth rate and the death rate of a country or place
• When birth rates are higher than death rates, the population of an area naturally increases
• Natural increase is a major cause of population growth in Mumbai
• Mumbai has a fertility rate of around two children per woman
• This has led to the population of Mumbai growing by approximately 5 per cent year on year – this equates to 1 million extra people being born every year
• Migration


  People moving from rural areas to Mumbai
• Pull factors (attractions pulling people to Mumbai)


  • Educational opportunities
  • Improved health care
  • Services such as water, electricity and sewage
  • Friends and family who have already moved to the city
  • Improved job prospects with higher wages
  • Opportunity to work in the public sector and for international agencies
• Push factors (forcing people to move from rural areas to Mumbai)


  • Education and health standards are much lower in rural areas
  • Jobs in agriculture have become harder to find
  • Only large farms can afford chemicals and machinery
  • Young people see farming as hard work with long hours and low pay