The given chart illustrates the percentage of the population living in cities in four different countries from 1970 to 2020 and also gives predictions for 2030 and 2040.
Overall, it is obvious that there was and will be a significant rise in the proportion of people living in cities in all countries. Especially, Malaysia and Indonesia experienced and are expected to experience a continuous increase over time, whereas Thailand and the Philippines fluctuated slightly.
Looking first at the countries where the proportion of the population always increased over the period, in 1970, Malaysia started at approximately 30%. Over the next decades, this rate rose steadily, surpassing the Philippines at around 40% in 1990. After that, it continued to increase significantly and is projected to reach about 85%, becoming the highest among the four countries by 2040.
Similarly, Indonesia had about 15% of its population living in cities in 1970. This figure increased gradually over time, reaching around 50% in 2020, and is expected to continue rising to about 65% by 2040.
In contrast, the percentage in Thailand and the Philippines showed slight fluctuations. In the Philippines, the urban population rose from around 30% in 1970 to nearly 50% in 1990, then experienced a small decline before increasing again to about 55% in 2040. Thailand’s figure grew slowly from about 15% in 1970 to over 30% in 2020 and is predicted to rise to almost 50% by 2040.