The line graph illustrates the population of city dwellers in the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia from 1970 to 2020, with a prediction for the next two decades starting from 2030.
Overall, it is clear that Malaysia had the highest percentage of city dwellers throughout the period, whereas Indonesia and Thailand had the lowest. Notably, the Philippines showed significant fluctuations in its urban population over time.
In 1970, Malaysia and the Philippines had an equal percentage of city dwellers, at around 30%. Over the next three decades, this number increased in Malaysia, with almost one-third of its population living in cities, while the Philippines had a slightly higher percentage of city dwellers. By 2010, the percentage of city dwellers in both Malaysia and the Philippines showed a gradual increase, predicted to reach around 80% and 40%, respectively, by 2040.
At the start of the period, around 20% of the Thai population lived in cities, almost half the percentage of Indonesians. These figures increased steadily for both countries in 1980 and 1990. Over the next decade, the percentage of city dwellers in Thailand and Indonesia became similar. However, Indonesia surpassed Malaysia in 2010, reaching around 35%, which increased slowly to around 60% by the end of the period. In contrast, Thailand’s percentage declined slightly in 2020 after 2010. The prediction shows a rapid growth in the upcoming decade.