Urbanisation in the world today is an ongoing process that has a profound impact on people's living conditions and health status. The globalisation of markets, the desire for higher education, increased use of communication, and new information technologies are the driving forces behind this process. In 2003, as much as 73% of the population in Europe was living in cites or city suburbs, and it is estimated that by 2030 80% of the population will be urbanised. The continued growth of cities today is partly due to rural–urban migration and partly due to an influx of migrants from other countries.
The urbanisation process has marked effects on the natural and cultural environment, on housing arrangements and social networks, as well as on work and employment patterns, not only in the cities, but also in the rural areas. Access to health care, social services, and cultural activities are in many cases better in the cities, but there the access may not be evenly distributed among the population. The urbanisation is also part of larger processes occurring in the world, of which market integration is the most important. Globalisation means flow of economic capital, labour, goods and services, as well as ideologies across national borders. Shifts in social networks and living arrangements may lead to changes in mental health and social capital, and a depletion of human capital may be the outcome in some rural areas.
Studies on the health impacts of urbanisation reveal that urbanisation can have both positive and negative effects on health. Urban life can be rich and fulfilling since it is more diverse, stimulating, and full of new opportunities. Individual and family mobility make it easier to escape from oppressive social relationships. Cities are sources of ideas, energy, creativity, and technology. They can for example foster enlightened, congenial, and multicultural living.
The most prominent feature of urbanisation is the differences in lifestyle. Not only changes in food habits, physical activity, work patterns, smoking, and alcohol consumption, but also changes in sexual behaviour, leisure time activities, and travelling patterns cause transitions in patterns of disease and mortality. Most of these factors are especially associated with an increase in the risk of chronic diseases and some infectious diseases.

Urbanization has many important effects, this is a good list: 1) Technological innovation caused by economies and trade 2) Sharing of information caused by trade and compacted living 3) Centralizing government caused by militia forces that become foundation for national army (as in Roman Empire, for example, where cities were administrative outposts) 4) Improving of living conditions caused by all of the above CHEBADIAH History indicates that no country in the industrial age has ever achieved significant socio-economic development without urbanization. This shows the close association between economic development and urbanization. Studies have also shown that across countries and over time, as the urban share of the total population rises, the overall (urban and rural) poverty rate tends to fall. This effect is transmitted largely through higher economic growth associated with more rapid urbanization rather than through re-distribution.