Urban population growth (annual %) in East Asia & Pacific
East Asia & Pacific: Urban population growth (annual %) was 0.7% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Urban population growth in East Asia & Pacific, 1961–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in annual %.
Analysis
In 2025, urban population growth in East Asia & Pacific stood at 0.7%.
The figure is up 1.9% on the previous year and down 72.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, urban population growth in East Asia & Pacific peaked at 6.7% in 1964 and was at its lowest, -2.9%, in 1962.
That places East Asia & Pacific 36th out of 47 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 65 years of available data.
Urban population growth (annual %) in East Asia & Pacific, year by year
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 0.1% | — |
| 1962 | -2.9% | -3059.3% |
| 1963 | 1.7% | -157.3% |
| 1964 | 6.7% | +303.3% |
| 1965 | 2.1% | -68.9% |
| 1966 | 2.7% | +31.0% |
| 1967 | 2.7% | -2.5% |
| 1968 | 2.8% | +5.2% |
| 1969 | 2.9% | +3.8% |
| 1970 | 2.8% | -2.9% |
| 1971 | 3.0% | +7.2% |
| 1972 | 2.7% | -11.4% |
| 1973 | 3.1% | +14.5% |
| 1974 | 2.4% | -21.5% |
| 1975 | 2.6% | +7.9% |
| 1976 | 2.4% | -7.7% |
| 1977 | 2.3% | -4.3% |
| 1978 | 2.9% | +25.0% |
| 1979 | 4.6% | +59.2% |
| 1980 | 3.0% | -34.7% |
| 1981 | 3.7% | +24.4% |
| 1982 | 3.0% | -19.5% |
| 1983 | 4.3% | +45.3% |
| 1984 | 4.9% | +12.5% |
| 1985 | 3.4% | -30.9% |
| 1986 | 3.6% | +8.1% |
| 1987 | 3.6% | -0.4% |
| 1988 | 3.0% | -16.7% |
| 1989 | 2.8% | -8.7% |
| 1990 | 1.9% | -30.4% |
| 1991 | 3.3% | +73.8% |
| 1992 | 2.8% | -15.3% |
| 1993 | 2.8% | -1.0% |
| 1994 | 2.8% | -0.7% |
| 1995 | 2.8% | -0.3% |
| 1996 | 4.3% | +54.1% |
| 1997 | 4.1% | -4.5% |
| 1998 | 4.0% | -3.1% |
| 1999 | 3.8% | -5.1% |
| 2000 | 3.9% | +4.4% |
| 2001 | 3.2% | -17.6% |
| 2002 | 3.5% | +8.7% |
| 2003 | 3.5% | -1.4% |
| 2004 | 3.1% | -10.6% |
| 2005 | 3.0% | -4.6% |
| 2006 | 3.0% | +2.2% |
| 2007 | 3.2% | +5.9% |
| 2008 | 2.6% | -18.9% |
| 2009 | 2.8% | +7.6% |
| 2010 | 2.2% | -22.8% |
| 2011 | 4.0% | +87.3% |
| 2012 | 2.5% | -37.0% |
| 2013 | 2.6% | +2.5% |
| 2014 | 2.4% | -8.0% |
| 2015 | 2.7% | +11.2% |
| 2016 | 2.5% | -4.6% |
| 2017 | 2.4% | -5.0% |
| 2018 | 2.3% | -3.0% |
| 2019 | 2.0% | -15.7% |
| 2020 | 1.4% | -27.8% |
| 2021 | 1.6% | +13.1% |
| 2022 | 0.9% | -44.5% |
| 2023 | 0.7% | -17.6% |
| 2024 | 0.7% | -4.1% |
| 2025 | 0.7% | +1.9% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Urban population growth (annual %) in East Asia & Pacific 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | -3059.3% | 0.1% | -2.9% |
| 1964 | +303.3% | 1.7% | 6.7% |
| 1963 | +157.3% | -2.9% | 1.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2.1% | -2.9% | 6.7% | 9 |
| 1970s | 2.9% | 2.3% | 4.6% | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.5% | 2.8% | 4.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.3% | 1.9% | 4.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.2% | 2.6% | 3.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.6% | 2.0% | 4.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.0% | 0.7% | 1.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near East Asia & Pacific
More climate change data for East Asia & Pacific
- Population, total, annual growth rate 0.1068 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population, total, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Urban population, annual growth rate 0.7233 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population growth 0.1% (2025)
- Population, total 2.39 billion (2025)
- Urban population 1.55 billion (2025)
- Urban population, per capita 0.6477 units per person (2025)
- Urban population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population, total, per square kilometre 97.52 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Urban population, per square kilometre 62.44 units per square kilometre (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is urban population growth in East Asia & Pacific?
- Urban population growth in East Asia & Pacific was 0.7% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest urban population growth recorded in East Asia & Pacific?
- The highest recorded value was 6.7% in 1964.
- What is the lowest urban population growth recorded in East Asia & Pacific?
- The lowest recorded value was -2.9% in 1962.
- How does East Asia & Pacific rank for urban population growth?
- East Asia & Pacific ranks 36th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is urban population growth rising or falling in East Asia & Pacific?
- Over the last ten years it is down 72.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this East Asia & Pacific 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.
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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.