Urban population growth (annual %) in East Timor
East Timor: Urban population growth (annual %) was 1.7% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Urban population growth in East Timor, 1961–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in annual %.
Analysis
In 2025, urban population growth in East Timor stood at 1.7%.
The figure is up 19.8% on the previous year and down 6.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, urban population growth in East Timor peaked at 10.1% in 2001 and was at its lowest, -10.8%, in 1999.
That places East Timor 85th out of 218 countries with data for 2025, putting it 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 Timor, year by year
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 1.9% | — |
| 1962 | 2.3% | +22.4% |
| 1963 | 2.8% | +19.2% |
| 1964 | 3.2% | +14.7% |
| 1965 | 3.6% | +11.3% |
| 1966 | 3.9% | +9.0% |
| 1967 | 4.2% | +7.2% |
| 1968 | 4.4% | +5.6% |
| 1969 | 4.6% | +4.3% |
| 1970 | 4.7% | +3.2% |
| 1971 | 4.8% | +2.2% |
| 1972 | 4.9% | +1.2% |
| 1973 | 4.9% | -0.1% |
| 1974 | 4.6% | -6.8% |
| 1975 | 4.4% | -2.8% |
| 1976 | 4.7% | +7.1% |
| 1977 | 4.9% | +2.8% |
| 1978 | 4.8% | -2.5% |
| 1979 | 4.6% | -3.7% |
| 1980 | 4.7% | +1.8% |
| 1981 | 4.5% | -4.3% |
| 1982 | 4.1% | -9.3% |
| 1983 | 3.9% | -3.4% |
| 1984 | 3.9% | -1.4% |
| 1985 | 3.8% | -0.5% |
| 1986 | 3.8% | -1.4% |
| 1987 | 3.7% | -1.2% |
| 1988 | 3.7% | -0.7% |
| 1989 | 3.8% | +2.2% |
| 1990 | 3.8% | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 3.9% | +3.6% |
| 1992 | 4.2% | +5.8% |
| 1993 | 4.1% | -0.5% |
| 1994 | 4.1% | -0.6% |
| 1995 | 4.1% | -1.1% |
| 1996 | 4.0% | -1.0% |
| 1997 | 4.0% | +0.2% |
| 1998 | 4.0% | -0.2% |
| 1999 | -10.8% | -367.6% |
| 2000 | -10.0% | -7.8% |
| 2001 | 10.1% | -201.4% |
| 2002 | 9.5% | -6.3% |
| 2003 | 5.8% | -38.3% |
| 2004 | 3.1% | -47.6% |
| 2005 | 4.4% | +43.1% |
| 2006 | 6.0% | +36.6% |
| 2007 | 6.0% | +1.1% |
| 2008 | 5.5% | -8.3% |
| 2009 | 4.6% | -17.8% |
| 2010 | 3.2% | -29.2% |
| 2011 | 2.3% | -28.6% |
| 2012 | 2.1% | -7.5% |
| 2013 | 2.0% | -7.3% |
| 2014 | 1.9% | -6.0% |
| 2015 | 1.8% | -2.8% |
| 2016 | 1.7% | -5.3% |
| 2017 | 1.6% | -6.7% |
| 2018 | 1.5% | -3.4% |
| 2019 | 1.5% | -3.7% |
| 2020 | 1.4% | -6.5% |
| 2021 | 1.2% | -12.3% |
| 2022 | 0.7% | -43.4% |
| 2023 | 1.1% | +63.4% |
| 2024 | 1.4% | +25.9% |
| 2025 | 1.7% | +19.8% |
East Timor compared with similar countries
- East Timor's 1.7% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 2.7%, 62% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- East Timor's 1.7% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.9%, 1.8× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Urban population growth (annual %) in East Timor 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | -367.6% | 4.0% | -10.8% |
| 2001 | +201.4% | -10.0% | 10.1% |
| 2023 | +63.4% | 0.7% | 1.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 3.4% | 1.9% | 4.6% | 9 |
| 1970s | 4.7% | 4.4% | 4.9% | 10 |
| 1980s | 4.0% | 3.7% | 4.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.6% | -10.8% | 4.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.5% | -10.0% | 10.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.0% | 1.5% | 3.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.3% | 0.7% | 1.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near East Timor
- 82 Cambodia 1.7% compare
- 83 Kyrgyzstan 1.7% compare
- 84 Kazakhstan 1.7% compare
- 86 Turkmenistan 1.7% compare
- 87 Australia 1.7% compare
- 88 Nicaragua 1.6% compare
More climate change data for East Timor
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 934.91 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 229.94 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 704.97 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 0.8677 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 25.18 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 259.51 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 20.09 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 239.42 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 0.0758 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 8.55 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is urban population growth in East Timor?
- Urban population growth in East Timor was 1.7% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest urban population growth recorded in East Timor?
- The highest recorded value was 10.1% in 2001.
- What is the lowest urban population growth recorded in East Timor?
- The lowest recorded value was -10.8% in 1999.
- How does East Timor rank for urban population growth?
- East Timor ranks 85th out of 218 countries with data for 2025.
- Is urban population growth rising or falling in East Timor?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this East Timor 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.