The line graph compares the proportion of people from four different nations residing in rural areas from 1970 to 2020, and projects the population for the next two decades. Overall, the Philippines had the highest percentage of its total population in the initial year, a position that was later surpassed by Malaysia. Malaysia’s rural population continued to grow until the present day and is predicted to rise in the future. In contrast, Thailand is expected to have the smallest population in rural areas in the future.
In 1970, over 30% of the total population of the Philippines lived in rural areas, closely followed by Malaysia. Indonesia had the smallest proportion in that year. By 1990, almost half of the population of the Philippines had moved to rural areas. Malaysia witnessed a significant increase in urban population from that year onwards, which continued to rise until 2020.
Both Thailand and Indonesia showed gradual increases until 2000, when Indonesia’s urban population surpassed that of Thailand and the Philippines, a trend that continued until 2020. By 2040, Malaysia is projected to have nearly three-fourths of its population residing in cities, making it the most urbanized country among the four nations. Indonesia is predicted to be the second most urbanized, with just over half of its population living in urban areas, followed by the Philippines at nearly 50%. Thailand is expected to have the lowest urban population among the four nations, at around 40%.