Urban population in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income)
East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income): Urban population was 62.1% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Urban population in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income), 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income) recorded 62.1% for urban population in 2025. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
The figure is up 0.7% on the previous year and up 14.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, urban population in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income) peaked at 62.1% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 17.5%, in 1963.
That places East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income) 16th out of 47 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
Urban population in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income), year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 19.4% | — |
| 1961 | 19.1% | -1.3% |
| 1962 | 17.8% | -7.1% |
| 1963 | 17.5% | -1.6% |
| 1964 | 18.6% | +6.6% |
| 1965 | 18.5% | -0.8% |
| 1966 | 18.5% | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 18.5% | +0.1% |
| 1968 | 18.5% | +0.1% |
| 1969 | 18.6% | +0.1% |
| 1970 | 18.6% | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 18.6% | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 18.6% | +0.1% |
| 1973 | 18.7% | +0.8% |
| 1974 | 18.7% | -0.1% |
| 1975 | 18.9% | +0.8% |
| 1976 | 19.0% | +0.9% |
| 1977 | 19.2% | +0.9% |
| 1978 | 19.6% | +1.9% |
| 1979 | 20.5% | +4.5% |
| 1980 | 20.9% | +2.1% |
| 1981 | 21.5% | +3.2% |
| 1982 | 22.0% | +1.9% |
| 1983 | 22.9% | +4.0% |
| 1984 | 24.0% | +4.9% |
| 1985 | 24.6% | +2.6% |
| 1986 | 25.3% | +3.0% |
| 1987 | 26.1% | +2.8% |
| 1988 | 26.6% | +1.9% |
| 1989 | 27.0% | +1.6% |
| 1990 | 27.2% | +0.6% |
| 1991 | 27.9% | +2.6% |
| 1992 | 28.4% | +2.1% |
| 1993 | 29.0% | +2.1% |
| 1994 | 29.7% | +2.1% |
| 1995 | 30.3% | +2.1% |
| 1996 | 31.6% | +4.2% |
| 1997 | 32.8% | +4.0% |
| 1998 | 34.1% | +3.8% |
| 1999 | 35.3% | +3.6% |
| 2000 | 36.7% | +3.9% |
| 2001 | 37.8% | +2.9% |
| 2002 | 39.0% | +3.2% |
| 2003 | 40.2% | +3.1% |
| 2004 | 41.3% | +2.7% |
| 2005 | 42.3% | +2.6% |
| 2006 | 43.5% | +2.7% |
| 2007 | 44.7% | +2.9% |
| 2008 | 45.7% | +2.1% |
| 2009 | 46.8% | +2.5% |
| 2010 | 47.7% | +1.8% |
| 2011 | 49.6% | +4.1% |
| 2012 | 50.7% | +2.1% |
| 2013 | 51.8% | +2.2% |
| 2014 | 52.9% | +2.0% |
| 2015 | 54.1% | +2.4% |
| 2016 | 55.3% | +2.2% |
| 2017 | 56.5% | +2.1% |
| 2018 | 57.7% | +2.1% |
| 2019 | 58.7% | +1.7% |
| 2020 | 59.4% | +1.2% |
| 2021 | 60.4% | +1.7% |
| 2022 | 60.9% | +0.8% |
| 2023 | 61.2% | +0.6% |
| 2024 | 61.6% | +0.6% |
| 2025 | 62.1% | +0.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 18.5% | 17.5% | 19.4% | 10 |
| 1970s | 19.0% | 18.6% | 20.5% | 10 |
| 1980s | 24.1% | 20.9% | 27.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 30.6% | 27.2% | 35.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 41.8% | 36.7% | 46.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 53.5% | 47.7% | 58.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 60.9% | 59.4% | 62.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income)
- 13 Qatar 99.4% compare
- 14 San Marino 97.2% compare
- 15 Netherlands 95.9% compare
- 16 Malta 95.7% compare
- 17 Uruguay 95.7% compare
- 18 United States Virgin Islands 95.4% compare
- 19 Luxembourg 94.9% compare
More climate change data for East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income)
- Population growth 0.1% (2025)
- Population, total 2.14 billion (2025)
- Urban population growth 0.8% (2025)
- Urban population 1.33 billion (2025)
- Annual freshwater withdrawals, total 1,082 billion cubic meters (2022)
- Annual freshwater withdrawals, total 12.4% (2022)
- Terrestrial protected areas 14.9% (2025)
- Terrestrial and marine protected areas 7.3% (2025)
- Marine protected areas 2.7% (2025)
- CPIA public sector management and institutions cluster average 2.98 1=low to 6=high (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is urban population in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income)?
- Urban population in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income) was 62.1% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest urban population recorded in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income)?
- The highest recorded value was 62.1% in 2025.
- What is the lowest urban population recorded in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 17.5% in 1963.
- How does East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income) rank for urban population?
- East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income) ranks 16th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is urban population rising or falling in East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 14.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- 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 (% of total population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. The data are collected and smoothed by United Nations Population Division.