Urban population growth (annual %) in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income)
East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income): Urban population growth (annual %) was 0.8% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Urban population growth in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income), 1961–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in annual %.
Analysis
In 2025, urban population growth in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income) stood at 0.8%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 6.0% on the previous year and down 72.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, urban population growth in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income) peaked at 8.8% in 1964 and was at its lowest, -6.1%, in 1962.
East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income) ranks 35th of 47 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Urban population growth (annual %) in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income), year by year
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | -1.3% | — |
| 1962 | -6.1% | +352.4% |
| 1963 | 1.0% | -116.1% |
| 1964 | 8.8% | +806.6% |
| 1965 | 1.7% | -81.0% |
| 1966 | 2.8% | +64.6% |
| 1967 | 2.7% | -2.9% |
| 1968 | 2.7% | +1.5% |
| 1969 | 2.8% | +2.9% |
| 1970 | 2.7% | -2.6% |
| 1971 | 2.7% | -0.4% |
| 1972 | 2.5% | -6.2% |
| 1973 | 3.1% | +22.6% |
| 1974 | 2.0% | -35.0% |
| 1975 | 2.7% | +33.5% |
| 1976 | 2.6% | -3.0% |
| 1977 | 2.5% | -6.0% |
| 1978 | 3.5% | +40.0% |
| 1979 | 6.0% | +73.1% |
| 1980 | 3.6% | -39.4% |
| 1981 | 4.7% | +29.3% |
| 1982 | 3.6% | -23.3% |
| 1983 | 5.7% | +57.0% |
| 1984 | 6.4% | +13.7% |
| 1985 | 4.2% | -34.4% |
| 1986 | 4.6% | +8.6% |
| 1987 | 4.5% | -1.4% |
| 1988 | 3.7% | -19.0% |
| 1989 | 3.3% | -9.6% |
| 1990 | 2.2% | -33.9% |
| 1991 | 4.1% | +88.8% |
| 1992 | 3.5% | -15.7% |
| 1993 | 3.5% | -0.0% |
| 1994 | 3.4% | -1.2% |
| 1995 | 3.4% | -0.6% |
| 1996 | 5.4% | +57.8% |
| 1997 | 5.2% | -4.1% |
| 1998 | 5.0% | -4.1% |
| 1999 | 4.7% | -6.0% |
| 2000 | 4.8% | +3.6% |
| 2001 | 3.8% | -20.7% |
| 2002 | 4.0% | +5.7% |
| 2003 | 3.9% | -3.2% |
| 2004 | 3.4% | -12.4% |
| 2005 | 3.3% | -2.6% |
| 2006 | 3.4% | +3.1% |
| 2007 | 3.6% | +5.7% |
| 2008 | 2.9% | -20.4% |
| 2009 | 3.2% | +11.1% |
| 2010 | 2.5% | -23.0% |
| 2011 | 4.8% | +93.8% |
| 2012 | 3.0% | -37.8% |
| 2013 | 3.1% | +2.8% |
| 2014 | 2.8% | -8.7% |
| 2015 | 3.1% | +10.8% |
| 2016 | 3.0% | -5.0% |
| 2017 | 2.8% | -4.9% |
| 2018 | 2.7% | -3.2% |
| 2019 | 2.3% | -16.2% |
| 2020 | 1.7% | -27.0% |
| 2021 | 2.0% | +17.5% |
| 2022 | 1.1% | -45.2% |
| 2023 | 0.8% | -26.3% |
| 2024 | 0.8% | +0.7% |
| 2025 | 0.8% | +6.0% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Urban population growth (annual %) in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income) changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | +806.6% | 1.0% | 8.8% |
| 1962 | -352.4% | -1.3% | -6.1% |
| 1963 | +116.1% | -6.1% | 1.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.7% | -6.1% | 8.8% | 9 |
| 1970s | 3.0% | 2.0% | 6.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | 4.4% | 3.3% | 6.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.0% | 2.2% | 5.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.7% | 2.9% | 4.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.0% | 2.3% | 4.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.2% | 0.8% | 2.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income)
More climate change data for East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income)
- Population, total, annual growth rate 0.1303 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population, total, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Urban population, annual growth rate 0.846 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population growth 0.1% (2025)
- Population, total 2.14 billion (2025)
- Urban population 1.33 billion (2025)
- Urban population, per capita 0.6205 units per person (2025)
- Urban population, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population, total, per square kilometre 133.58 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Urban population, per square kilometre 81.79 units per square kilometre (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is urban population growth in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income)?
- Urban population growth in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income) was 0.8% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest urban population growth recorded in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income)?
- The highest recorded value was 8.8% in 1964.
- What is the lowest urban population growth recorded in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income)?
- The lowest recorded value was -6.1% in 1962.
- How does East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income) rank for urban population growth?
- East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income) ranks 35th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is urban population growth rising or falling in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 72.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income) data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as part of Urban population growth (annual %). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Annual urban population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear urban population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage. Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated using World Bank total population estimates and urban ratios from the United Nations World Urbanization Prospects.