On the declining popultion of the centre: A research note

This note uses available research and global population data to show that over time the share of the urban population inhabiting the centre has declined relative to the urban population of the periphery. The decline of the population of the centre is measured on global, national, and metropolitan scales: (1) as the declining share of the global urban population inhabiting the world's largest cities; (2) as the declining share of the urban population of individual countries living in their largest cities; and (3) as the declining share of the population of metropolitan areas living or working in central cities compared to those living and working in the suburbs. Evidence of these declines is simply presented in this research note, without any attempt to speculate on their underlying reasons.