The figures highlight urban population number in four Asian countries between 1970 to 2020, along with forecasts for the next two decades.Overall, the proportion of Malaysia and Indonesia show a significant rise, meanwhile the number of Phillippines and Thailand observe fluctuation from 1970 to future.In 1970, around 30% of Malaysia’s population lived in cities, which was slightly lower than the Philippines at approximately 32%. However, Malaysia experienced a rapid rise in urbanisation, climbing to about 60% in 2000 and reaching roughly 76% by 2020. This figure is projected to continue increasing, surpassing 80% by 2030 and approaching 85% by 2040.
The Philippines, in contrast, displays a less stable pattern. Urban population levels rose from about 32% in 1970 to nearly 48% in 1990 before declining slightly to around 43% in 2010. After this dip, the percentage gradually increases again and is expected to reach approximately 56% by the end of the forecast period.
Indonesia started with the lowest proportion of urban residents, at just over 10% in 1970. Nevertheless, the figure rose steadily over the following decades, reaching around 30% by 2000 and accelerating significantly to just above 50% in 2020. It is predicted to continue rising sharply, reaching about 64% by 2040.
Thailand follows a more gradual trend. The urban population increased from roughly 18% in 1970 to around 30% in 2000 and remained relatively stable until 2020. However, projections indicate that the figure will climb more noticeably in the following decades, reaching approximately 50% by 2040.