The Latin American states had the highest urbanisation rate in the world until the Asian countries overtook them in the 1990s. In Latin America three-quarters of the population are living in cities. Ten years ago, we would have expected only industrial states to have such high rates. Unusual is the dense situation in the megacity itself. 175 million people are living in Brazil; 82 percent of them in cities.
On average, municipalities capture about US $ 87 per capita in revenue per year.
Most countries in Latin America consist of one megacity with an extreme habitant concentration.
Brazil presents itself with 16 cities passing the limit of one million; Rio was the first one to do so in the 1920s.
Extraordinary in the case of Latin America is the dimension of self-built urban space.
In fact, 50 percent of constructions in urban agglomerations are the heritage of rural immigrants.
Already in 1950 the Pan-American Union announced that 19 million housing units in Latin America were not worthy living in.
Instead of reaction, passivity let it grow to 43 million by 1975.