Band 6+: The graph below gives information about the percentage of the population in four Asian countries living in cities from 1970 to 2020, with predictions for 2030 and 2040. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

The graph illustrates the change in the population of people who live in cities in four different Asian countries (Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia) by percentage between 1970 and 2020, as well as forecasts from future.

Overall, even though different trends can be observed from 1990 to 2000 in context of every country, the number of individuals who live in cities rather than countryside or villages has increased over time. Moreover, this trend is estimated to keep rising in the future.

According to data, the number of people who prefer living in cities has started to rise at the beginning of 1970s. At that time, roughly 15% of Indonesian people used to live in cities, which constitutes the smallest data on the graph. We can see that this percentage is followed by Thailand, Malaysia and Philippines, approximately 18%, 30% and 32%, respectively. From then to 1990s, a steady rise can be seen. However, from 1990s to 2010s, while the rate of Malaysian and Indonesian people living in cities kept increasing, the rate decreased from nearly 50% to 42% in Philippines and remained more or less steady in Thailand, by staying the same around 30%.

From 2010s, the rates has started to rise again in all four countries, with the highest rising rate in Malaysia, where roughly 70% of its population lived in cities.