Summary

Currently, sub-Saharan Africa remains the region with the lowest proportion of the population living in urban areas and cities - approximately 40 per cent of the total population of the region.

However, sub-Saharan Africa is the world’s fastest urbanizing region, with an annual urban population growth rate of 4.1 per cent, in comparison to the world’s rate of 2 per cent.

This report provides an in-depth review of secondary towns in the region from the lens of Indicators of Multiple Deprivations, focusing on city-wide and household-level indicators of deprivation. It is a culmination of analysis of secondary data and case studies on six secondary towns in Kenya and Zambia. It divides deprivations into the dimensions of city/town governance, economic, water and sanitation, living environment, education, health and crime. Furthermore, this report’s narrative breaks down these indicators through the lens of children and youth, who are arguably the most affected groups in Sub-Saharan Africa.