Annual change in population in East Timor
East Timor: Annual change in population was 14,993 people in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
14,993 people
Change on year
down 21.7%
World rank
131st
of 236 countries
All-time high
67,158 people
in 2001
All-time low
-107,838 people
in 1999
Years of data
73
1951–2023
Annual change in population in East Timor, 1951–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
The most recent figure for annual change in population in East Timor is 14,993 people, measured in 2023.
The figure is down 21.7% on the previous year and down 37.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual change in population in East Timor peaked at 67,158 people in 2001 and was at its lowest, -107,838 people, in 1999.
East Timor ranks 131st of 236 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Annual change in population in East Timor, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1951 | 3,499 people | — |
| 1952 | 4,162 people | +18.9% |
| 1953 | 4,566 people | +9.7% |
| 1954 | 4,912 people | +7.6% |
| 1955 | 5,254 people | +7.0% |
| 1956 | 5,543 people | +5.5% |
| 1957 | 5,863 people | +5.8% |
| 1958 | 6,190 people | +5.6% |
| 1959 | 6,522 people | +5.4% |
| 1960 | 6,852 people | +5.1% |
| 1961 | 7,170 people | +4.6% |
| 1962 | 7,482 people | +4.4% |
| 1963 | 7,790 people | +4.1% |
| 1964 | 8,092 people | +3.9% |
| 1965 | 8,377 people | +3.5% |
| 1966 | 8,657 people | +3.3% |
| 1967 | 8,953 people | +3.4% |
| 1968 | 9,229 people | +3.1% |
| 1969 | 9,480 people | +2.7% |
| 1970 | 9,719 people | +2.5% |
| 1971 | 9,895 people | +1.8% |
| 1972 | 10,001 people | +1.1% |
| 1973 | 9,887 people | -1.1% |
| 1974 | 7,969 people | -19.4% |
| 1975 | 7,337 people | -7.9% |
| 1976 | 9,464 people | +29.0% |
| 1977 | 10,687 people | +12.9% |
| 1978 | 10,461 people | -2.1% |
| 1979 | 9,945 people | -4.9% |
| 1980 | 11,152 people | +12.1% |
| 1981 | 10,626 people | -4.7% |
| 1982 | 8,653 people | -18.6% |
| 1983 | 8,548 people | -1.2% |
| 1984 | 9,082 people | +6.2% |
| 1985 | 9,885 people | +8.8% |
| 1986 | 10,520 people | +6.4% |
| 1987 | 11,296 people | +7.4% |
| 1988 | 12,266 people | +8.6% |
| 1989 | 14,107 people | +15.0% |
| 1990 | 15,488 people | +9.8% |
| 1991 | 17,938 people | +15.8% |
| 1992 | 21,037 people | +17.3% |
| 1993 | 22,122 people | +5.2% |
| 1994 | 23,056 people | +4.2% |
| 1995 | 23,651 people | +2.6% |
| 1996 | 24,137 people | +2.1% |
| 1997 | 24,900 people | +3.2% |
| 1998 | 25,348 people | +1.8% |
| 1999 | -107,838 people | -525.4% |
| 2000 | -89,604 people | -16.9% |
| 2001 | 67,158 people | -174.9% |
| 2002 | 66,917 people | -0.4% |
| 2003 | 37,706 people | -43.7% |
| 2004 | 12,205 people | -67.6% |
| 2005 | 19,229 people | +57.6% |
| 2006 | 28,300 people | +47.2% |
| 2007 | 28,288 people | -0.0% |
| 2008 | 27,533 people | -2.7% |
| 2009 | 26,352 people | -4.3% |
| 2010 | 25,905 people | -1.7% |
| 2011 | 25,524 people | -1.5% |
| 2012 | 24,679 people | -3.3% |
| 2013 | 23,806 people | -3.5% |
| 2014 | 23,216 people | -2.5% |
| 2015 | 23,220 people | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 23,181 people | -0.2% |
| 2017 | 23,397 people | +0.9% |
| 2018 | 24,251 people | +3.7% |
| 2019 | 24,984 people | +3.0% |
| 2020 | 25,105 people | +0.5% |
| 2021 | 24,091 people | -4.0% |
| 2022 | 19,157 people | -20.5% |
| 2023 | 14,993 people | -21.7% |
East Timor compared with similar countries
- East Timor's 14,993 people is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 167,005 people, 9% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- East Timor's 14,993 people is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 3,585 people, 4.2× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Annual change in population in East Timor changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | -525.4% | 25,348 people | -107,838 people |
| 2001 | +174.9% | -89,604 people | 67,158 people |
| 2004 | -67.6% | 37,706 people | 12,205 people |
| 2005 | +57.6% | 12,205 people | 19,229 people |
| 2003 | -43.7% | 66,917 people | 37,706 people |
| 2006 | +47.2% | 19,229 people | 28,300 people |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 5,168 people | 3,499 people | 6,522 people | 9 |
| 1960s | 8,208 people | 6,852 people | 9,480 people | 10 |
| 1970s | 9,536 people | 7,337 people | 10,687 people | 10 |
| 1980s | 10,614 people | 8,548 people | 14,107 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 8,984 people | -107,838 people | 25,348 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 22,408 people | -89,604 people | 67,158 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 24,216 people | 23,181 people | 25,905 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 20,836 people | 14,993 people | 25,105 people | 4 |
Countries ranked near East Timor
More population data for East Timor
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.2427 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -1.71 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.2427 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.5654 % change on previous year (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.3779 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth -0.2% (2100)
- Population density 132.68 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 97,537 people (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development -0.2% (2100)
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas, annual growth rate 1.71 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual change in population in East Timor?
- Annual change in population in East Timor was 14,993 people in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest annual change in population recorded in East Timor?
- The highest recorded value was 67,158 people in 2001.
- What is the lowest annual change in population recorded in East Timor?
- The lowest recorded value was -107,838 people in 1999.
- How does East Timor rank for annual change in population?
- East Timor ranks 131st out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is annual change in population rising or falling in East Timor?
- Over the last ten years it is down 37.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this East Timor data come from?
- The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Annual change in population. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 73 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Annual change in population, calculated as the difference between population on 1 July of consecutive years.