This publication presents data from the 1996 Revision of estimates and projections of the size and growth of urban and rural populations for all countries of the world. The publication also contains revised estimates and projections for all urban agglomerations that had at least 750,000 inhabitants in 1995. Chapter I analyses the prospects of urbanization and city growth in the world. Chapter II describes the methodology used for estimating and projecting the populations of urban areas and urban agglomerations. Chapter III lists the sources of data that underlie the estimation of urban population. Annex I contains 17 tables that provide a wealth of detail about the characteristics of urban and rural populations and urban agglomerations. Data are presented for the world, the less developed countries and the more developed regions, the least developed countries and individual countries, along with regional aggregates. Estimates and projections are provided for the period 1950-2030 (2015 for urban agglomerations).