Population growth comparison Global Cities

 

Amsterdam - Berlin - New York City

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The premise of the Sorting Machine concept is that a Global City is characterized by a huge influx of newcomers, most of whom can only stay in the city for a short period of time. Due to Amsterdam's position in the international economy, we conclude that Amsterdam belongs to the Global Cities, just like Berlin and New York City. The question then is whether the large influx is reflected in the development of population growth in Amsterdam and some other Global Cities. Because the theory to be developed for the Sorting Machine also assumes a huge outflow, the data on population growth may provide little or no insight into the functioning of the Sorting Machine. The comparison between Amsterdam and Berlin on the one hand, and New York City on the other, seems to confirm this. ​

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With the population growth figures in Amsterdam, Berlin and New York City over the past 15 years, we want to see the difference between the Global Cities, and whether this reveals a common pattern. Amsterdam and Berlin show approximately the same development pattern, with the wars in Syria and Ukraine, and the Covid period clearly coming to the fore. There is a constant growth of the population, which corresponds to the economic boom. New York City's growth rates deviate from this pattern. Here we also see years of major population decline. Does this mean that New York's position as a Global City has weakened post-Covid, while the US economy has been running at full speed since then? Are New York City (and San Francisco) Losing Their Leading Position as Global Cities? Has the number of newcomers here decreased drastically, and with it their functioning as a Sorting Machine? Or has the sorting machine become even more selective and has the outflow increased as a result?

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Amsterdam - Berlin - New York City - Barcelona - London - Brussels - Milan

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* This is data of the core cities, not of the metropolis

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With the addition of four other Global Cities, there are clear differences in population growth. Milan stands out with the largest decrease, and also the largest increase. This city is therefore sensitive to developments, the question now is how the inflow and outflow is divided so that it becomes clear whether the selection of who can live in this city also works via a sorting mechanism. Only if there is an almost constant high inflow, the sorting process can fully work, this means that the city participates in the global competition by attracting inflow which leads to a strict selection process. This characterizes the Global City.

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Barcelona also stands out for its almost constant decline up to and including 2014, although it is the only city with significant growth in 2023; also the highest increase in almost 15 years (2.6%). Since 2018, the number of inhabitants has fluctuated more than before, what push or pull developments have taken place in the city that have changed the inflow and outflow?​

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​The developments in the number of inhabitants in Brussels and London are comparable to the Amsterdam and Berlin population growth. A slight decrease in growth until the corona years, but an increase again since 2021. The population growth of all cities raises questions regarding the functioning as a sorting machine, for this it is important that further research analyses the inflow and outflow so that the process of sorting can be exposed; whether it applies to the city and how the mechanisms work.

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Amsterdam, March 7, 2025