Ghaziabad is world's fastest-growing city; Surat, Patna, Rajkot also feature on list
Ghaziabad tops the World Population Review's 2026 ranking of the world's fastest-growing cities, with an annual population growth rate of 5.2 per cent. Surat ranks second at 4.99 per cent, while Patna, Rajkot and Faridabad feature among cities recording 4 per cent annual growth.
Fastest-growing cities in the world: Ghaziabad tops the list
According to the World Population Review's "Fastest Growing Cities in the World 2026" ranking, Ghaziabad has emerged as the world's fastest-growing city by annual population growth, followed by Surat, Kabul and Lagos. Here are the cities featured in the ranking:
Ghaziabad, India — 5.2%
Ghaziabad, located next to Delhi, recorded the highest annual population growth rate in the ranking at 5.2 per cent. It tops the list of the world's fastest-growing cities in 2026.
Surat, India — 4.99%
Surat, in Gujarat, ranks second with an annual population growth rate of 4.99 per cent. The city is the second-fastest-growing urban centre in the global ranking.
Kabul, Afghanistan — 4.74%
Afghanistan's capital Kabul ranks third, recording an annual population growth rate of 4.74 per cent. It is the fastest-growing city in the ranking outside India.
Lagos, Nigeria — 4.44%
Nigeria's Lagos ranks fourth with an annual growth rate of 4.44 per cent. The city is also among the world's major urban centres experiencing rapid population expansion.
Toluca, Mexico — 4.25%
Toluca in Mexico recorded an annual population growth rate of 4.25 per cent, placing it fifth in the global ranking. It is the only city in the top 10 located outside Asia and Africa.
Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo — 4.1%
Lubumbashi in the Democratic Republic of Congo ranks sixth, with its population growing at an annual rate of 4.1 per cent.
Kampala, Uganda — 4.03%
Uganda's capital Kampala ranks seventh, recording an annual population growth rate of 4.03 per cent.
Luanda, Angola — 4%
Angola's capital Luanda is among the cities recording 4 per cent annual population growth, placing i
Patna, India — 4%
Bihar's capital Patna is among the Indian cities in the joint eighth position, with an annual population growth rate of 4 per cent.
Rajkot, India — 4%
Rajkot in Gujarat has also recorded an annual population growth rate of 4 per cent, placing it among the fastest-growing cities globally.
Faridabad, India — 4%
Faridabad, part of the Delhi-NCR region, has recorded 4 per cent annual population growth, putting it in the joint eighth position.
Maputo, Mozambique — 4%
Mozambique's capital Maputo completes the group of cities recording 4 per cent annual population growth in the ranking.
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