Dubai remains the world's most cosmopolitan city in 2018 with 83 per cent (2.6 million) of its residents foreign-born who speak over 140 different languages.

"Dubai is currently the world's most cosmopolitan city, with foreign-born residents making up 83 per cent of its population. Its residents come from more than 200 countries and speak more than 140 different languages. Following Dubai is Brussels, with a population that is 62 per cent foreign-born; its inhabitants hail from approximately 140 countries and speak 86 different languages," said global consultancy McKinsey & Company.

According to the Dubai Statistics Centre, Dubai's population currently stands at 3.14 million as compared to 2.976 million at 2017-end. The emirate's population jumped to 4.163 million during the peak hours in the day, DSC said in an earlier statement.

Of over 140 different languages spoken by Dubai residents, most common languages are Arabic, English, Hindi, Urdu, Persian, Bengali, Tamil, Tagalog, Chinese, Malayalam, French, German and Spanish among others.

 McKinsey & Co. analysts believe that Dubai along with London, Hong Kong, New York, Singapore and Tokyo are major hubs for all types of flows such as flows of goods, services, finance, people, data and communication.

Apart from Dubai and Brussels, according to McKinsey & Co.'s "Thriving amid turbulence: Imaging the cities of the future" report, there are 11 other cities in the world in which at least a quarter of the residents are foreign-born. They are Toronto, Auckland, Los Angeles, Sydney, Singapore, London, New York, Melbourne, Amsterdam, Frankfurt and Paris.

McKinsey estimated that global flows of goods, services, assets, and people contribute between $250 billion (Dh917.5 billion) and $450 billion (Dh1,65 trillion) every year to global GDP, that is, 15 to 25 per cent of total global output.

According to the United Nations, 55 per cent of the global population currently lives in cities. By 2050, that number is expected to reach 68 per cent, which means an additional 2.5 billion people will reside in urban areas. China's cities alone will be home to a staggering 900 million people.

McKinsey & Co. analysts said from 2000 to 2012, rising populations were the key driver of urban growth. Approximately 60 per cent of the GDP growth of large cities was rooted in an expanding population, while the remaining 40 per cent was due to rising per capita income.

In Europe and the US, which experienced the shift in the 18th and 19th centuries, 80 to 85 per cent of the population now resides in cities. China's population, by contrast, is about halfway through the shift, with city dwellers constituting roughly 50 per cent of the overall population. In India, which is currently in an even earlier stage of the shift, only about 20 per cent of the population lives in cities.

Top cities with highest foreign population

City                                    % foreign-born

Dubai                                      83

Brussels                                  62

Toronto                                   46

Auckland                                 39

Los Angeles                             39

Sydney                                   39

Singapore                               38

London                                   37

New York                                37

Melbourne                               35

Amsterdam                             28

Frankfurt                                27

Paris                                      25

Source: McKinsey & Company

Editor's Note: This article was originally published in Gulf Business on Sunday October 14th, 2018 hhttp://bit.ly/KTDubaiMostCosmopolitan