France was only 55 per cent urban in the 1940s; so were large parts of Europe. Today, France, Italy and Spain, not to mention Germany and Scandinavia, are only 2-3 per cent rural. This is an indication of their prosperity. Latin America has just driven in to the smart set. Its high speed urbanisation, like a souped-up limo, touched 85 per cent at various stretches.
Links:
[1] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/news/busting-urban-legends-if-india-so-smart-then-how-come-it-so-rural
[2] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/author/dipankar-gupta
[3] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/newspaper/times-india-new-delhi
[4] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/development
[5] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/habitat-and-urbanisation
[6] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/urbanisation
[7] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/urban-development
[8] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/roads
[9] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/rural-development
[10] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/india