Urban population (% of total population) in East Asia & Pacific
East Asia & Pacific: Urban population (% of total population) was 64.8% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Urban population in East Asia & Pacific, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
East Asia & Pacific recorded 64.8% for urban population in 2025. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.6% on the previous year and up 12.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, urban population in East Asia & Pacific peaked at 64.8% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 23.6%, in 1963.
That places East Asia & Pacific 15th 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 (% of total population) in East Asia & Pacific, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 24.9% | — |
| 1961 | 24.8% | -0.1% |
| 1962 | 23.8% | -4.2% |
| 1963 | 23.6% | -0.8% |
| 1964 | 24.7% | +4.5% |
| 1965 | 24.6% | -0.3% |
| 1966 | 24.6% | +0.2% |
| 1967 | 24.7% | +0.3% |
| 1968 | 24.8% | +0.3% |
| 1969 | 24.9% | +0.3% |
| 1970 | 24.9% | +0.3% |
| 1971 | 25.0% | +0.4% |
| 1972 | 25.1% | +0.3% |
| 1973 | 25.3% | +0.9% |
| 1974 | 25.4% | +0.3% |
| 1975 | 25.6% | +0.8% |
| 1976 | 25.8% | +0.7% |
| 1977 | 26.0% | +0.8% |
| 1978 | 26.4% | +1.4% |
| 1979 | 27.2% | +3.1% |
| 1980 | 27.6% | +1.5% |
| 1981 | 28.2% | +2.2% |
| 1982 | 28.6% | +1.4% |
| 1983 | 29.4% | +2.8% |
| 1984 | 30.4% | +3.4% |
| 1985 | 31.0% | +1.9% |
| 1986 | 31.6% | +2.1% |
| 1987 | 32.3% | +2.0% |
| 1988 | 32.7% | +1.4% |
| 1989 | 33.1% | +1.2% |
| 1990 | 33.2% | +0.4% |
| 1991 | 33.9% | +1.9% |
| 1992 | 34.4% | +1.5% |
| 1993 | 34.9% | +1.5% |
| 1994 | 35.5% | +1.5% |
| 1995 | 36.0% | +1.6% |
| 1996 | 37.1% | +3.1% |
| 1997 | 38.2% | +3.0% |
| 1998 | 39.3% | +2.9% |
| 1999 | 40.4% | +2.8% |
| 2000 | 41.6% | +3.0% |
| 2001 | 42.6% | +2.4% |
| 2002 | 43.8% | +2.7% |
| 2003 | 45.0% | +2.7% |
| 2004 | 46.0% | +2.4% |
| 2005 | 47.0% | +2.2% |
| 2006 | 48.1% | +2.3% |
| 2007 | 49.3% | +2.5% |
| 2008 | 50.2% | +1.9% |
| 2009 | 51.3% | +2.1% |
| 2010 | 52.0% | +1.5% |
| 2011 | 53.8% | +3.4% |
| 2012 | 54.7% | +1.7% |
| 2013 | 55.7% | +1.8% |
| 2014 | 56.6% | +1.6% |
| 2015 | 57.7% | +2.0% |
| 2016 | 58.8% | +1.9% |
| 2017 | 59.8% | +1.7% |
| 2018 | 60.9% | +1.8% |
| 2019 | 61.7% | +1.5% |
| 2020 | 62.4% | +1.0% |
| 2021 | 63.2% | +1.4% |
| 2022 | 63.7% | +0.7% |
| 2023 | 64.0% | +0.5% |
| 2024 | 64.4% | +0.5% |
| 2025 | 64.8% | +0.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 24.5% | 23.6% | 24.9% | 10 |
| 1970s | 25.7% | 24.9% | 27.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 30.5% | 27.6% | 33.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 36.3% | 33.2% | 40.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 46.5% | 41.6% | 51.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 57.2% | 52.0% | 61.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 63.7% | 62.4% | 64.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near East Asia & Pacific
- 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
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)
- 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)
- Annual freshwater withdrawals, total 12.1% (2022)
- Annual freshwater withdrawals, total (billion cubic meters), per 0 billion cubic meters per person (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is urban population in East Asia & Pacific?
- Urban population in East Asia & Pacific was 64.8% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest urban population recorded in East Asia & Pacific?
- The highest recorded value was 64.8% in 2025.
- What is the lowest urban population recorded in East Asia & Pacific?
- The lowest recorded value was 23.6% in 1963.
- How does East Asia & Pacific rank for urban population?
- East Asia & Pacific ranks 15th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is urban population rising or falling in East Asia & Pacific?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- 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 (% 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.