One of the hallmarks of economic development is a shift from agriculture to manufacturing and services. In developing countries, a much higher share of the population lives in rural areas, and correspondingly fewer in urban areas as seen in Table 2.8. Although modernizing in many regions, rural areas are poorer and tend to suffer from missing markets, limited information, and social stratification. A massive population shift is also under way as hundreds of millions of people are moving from rural to urban areas, fueling rapid urbanization, with its own attendant problems. The world as a whole has just crossed the 50% threshold: For the first time in history, more people live in cities than in rural areas. But sub-Saharan Africa and most of Asia remain predominantly rural.