Testing Taylor’s Law in Urban Population Dynamics Worldwide with Simultaneous Equation Models

Knowledge of long-term population trends is still incomplete at the global scale. In this perspective, human and animal ecology has intensively studied relationship between Mean (M) size Variance (V) specific attributes subpopulations within a given regional system. One best-known relationships these two suitable to describe governed by Taylor’s law (TL). The present article contributes recent literature on worldwide testing (1950–2015) overall variance mean in total 1857 metropolitan agglomerations 155 countries classified into 9 world macro-regions. To estimate unknown parameter(s) V–M relation we made use simultaneous equation system using both linear (classical TL) quadratic specifications, with aim ascertaining wide range simplified (or more complex) association rules dimensions demographic change. empirical results show that TL verified all nine cases, although provides slightly better than classical, relationship. More specifically, similar estimates for were characteristic ‘new’ continents intense urbanization processes (the Americas, African Asian countries). predominance characterized regions long-established processes, such as Europe, Russia, and, partly, China Middle East. relevance refined understanding mechanisms worldwide, importance term distinguishing systems have experienced different development paths, finally discussed.