Share of population living in urbanized areas in East Timor
East Timor: Share of population living in urbanized areas was 37.6% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
37.6%
Change on year
up 1.7%
World rank
171st
of 202 countries
All-time high
37.6%
in 2025
All-time low
0.0%
in 1000
Years of data
108
1000–2025
Share of population living in urbanized areas in East Timor, 1000–2025
Source: HYDE (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
East Timor recorded 37.6% for share of population living in urbanized areas in 2025. That is the highest value across all 108 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.7% on the previous year and up 20.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in urbanized areas in East Timor peaked at 37.6% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1000.
East Timor ranks 171st of 202 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Share of population living in urbanized areas in East Timor, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1000 | 0.0% | — |
| 1100 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1200 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1300 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1400 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1500 | 0.1% | +200.0% |
| 1600 | 0.3% | +200.0% |
| 1700 | 1.0% | +200.0% |
| 1710 | 1.1% | +12.7% |
| 1720 | 1.2% | +9.5% |
| 1730 | 1.3% | +9.5% |
| 1740 | 1.5% | +9.5% |
| 1750 | 1.6% | +9.5% |
| 1760 | 1.8% | +9.5% |
| 1770 | 1.9% | +9.5% |
| 1780 | 2.1% | +9.5% |
| 1790 | 2.3% | +9.5% |
| 1800 | 2.5% | +9.5% |
| 1810 | 2.8% | +9.5% |
| 1820 | 3.0% | +9.5% |
| 1830 | 3.3% | +9.5% |
| 1840 | 3.6% | +9.5% |
| 1850 | 4.0% | +9.5% |
| 1860 | 4.4% | +9.5% |
| 1870 | 4.8% | +9.5% |
| 1880 | 5.2% | +9.5% |
| 1890 | 5.7% | +9.5% |
| 1900 | 6.3% | +9.5% |
| 1910 | 6.9% | +9.5% |
| 1920 | 7.5% | +9.5% |
| 1930 | 8.2% | +9.5% |
| 1940 | 9.0% | +9.5% |
| 1950 | 9.9% | +9.5% |
| 1951 | 9.9% | +0.2% |
| 1952 | 9.9% | +0.2% |
| 1953 | 10.0% | +0.2% |
| 1954 | 10.0% | +0.2% |
| 1955 | 10.0% | +0.2% |
| 1956 | 10.0% | +0.2% |
| 1957 | 10.0% | +0.2% |
| 1958 | 10.1% | +0.2% |
| 1959 | 10.1% | +0.2% |
| 1960 | 10.1% | +0.2% |
| 1961 | 10.3% | +1.5% |
| 1962 | 10.5% | +2.6% |
| 1963 | 10.8% | +2.6% |
| 1964 | 11.1% | +2.6% |
| 1965 | 11.4% | +2.6% |
| 1966 | 11.6% | +2.5% |
| 1967 | 11.9% | +2.5% |
| 1968 | 12.2% | +2.5% |
| 1969 | 12.5% | +2.5% |
| 1970 | 12.9% | +2.7% |
| 1971 | 13.3% | +3.5% |
| 1972 | 13.8% | +3.9% |
| 1973 | 14.3% | +3.5% |
| 1974 | 14.7% | +2.4% |
| 1975 | 14.8% | +0.9% |
| 1976 | 15.3% | +3.3% |
| 1977 | 15.6% | +1.7% |
| 1978 | 15.7% | +1.0% |
| 1979 | 16.0% | +1.6% |
| 1980 | 16.5% | +3.4% |
| 1981 | 16.5% | +0.1% |
| 1982 | 16.8% | +2.0% |
| 1983 | 17.4% | +3.2% |
| 1984 | 18.0% | +3.5% |
| 1985 | 18.5% | +3.1% |
| 1986 | 19.0% | +2.4% |
| 1987 | 19.4% | +2.1% |
| 1988 | 19.8% | +2.0% |
| 1989 | 20.2% | +2.3% |
| 1990 | 20.8% | +2.7% |
| 1991 | 21.2% | +2.1% |
| 1992 | 21.7% | +2.2% |
| 1993 | 22.1% | +2.1% |
| 1994 | 22.4% | +1.3% |
| 1995 | 22.4% | +0.1% |
| 1996 | 22.8% | +1.8% |
| 1997 | 23.0% | +0.6% |
| 1998 | 23.0% | +0.2% |
| 1999 | 23.2% | +0.9% |
| 2000 | 23.8% | +2.5% |
| 2001 | 24.3% | +1.8% |
| 2002 | 24.7% | +1.8% |
| 2003 | 25.1% | +1.7% |
| 2004 | 25.5% | +1.7% |
| 2005 | 26.0% | +1.7% |
| 2006 | 26.4% | +1.7% |
| 2007 | 26.8% | +1.6% |
| 2008 | 27.3% | +1.6% |
| 2009 | 27.7% | +1.6% |
| 2010 | 28.1% | +1.5% |
| 2011 | 28.8% | +2.3% |
| 2012 | 29.4% | +2.2% |
| 2013 | 30.0% | +2.2% |
| 2014 | 30.7% | +2.1% |
| 2015 | 31.3% | +2.1% |
| 2016 | 31.9% | +2.0% |
| 2017 | 32.6% | +2.0% |
| 2018 | 33.2% | +2.0% |
| 2019 | 33.8% | +1.9% |
| 2020 | 34.5% | +1.9% |
| 2021 | 35.1% | +1.8% |
| 2022 | 35.7% | +1.8% |
| 2023 | 36.4% | +1.8% |
| 2024 | 37.0% | +1.7% |
| 2025 | 37.6% | +1.7% |
East Timor compared with similar countries
- East Timor's 37.6% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 47.0%, 80% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
- East Timor's 37.6% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 59.0%, 64% of the median. (27 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Share of population living in urbanized areas 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1100 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1200 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1300 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1400 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1500 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| 1600 | +200.0% | 0.1% | 0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1100s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1200s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1300s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1400s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1500s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 1 |
| 1600s | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 1 |
| 1700s | 1.0% | 1.0% | 1.0% | 1 |
| 1710s | 1.1% | 1.1% | 1.1% | 1 |
| 1720s | 1.2% | 1.2% | 1.2% | 1 |
| 1730s | 1.3% | 1.3% | 1.3% | 1 |
| 1740s | 1.5% | 1.5% | 1.5% | 1 |
| 1750s | 1.6% | 1.6% | 1.6% | 1 |
| 1760s | 1.8% | 1.8% | 1.8% | 1 |
| 1770s | 1.9% | 1.9% | 1.9% | 1 |
| 1780s | 2.1% | 2.1% | 2.1% | 1 |
| 1790s | 2.3% | 2.3% | 2.3% | 1 |
| 1800s | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | 1 |
| 1810s | 2.8% | 2.8% | 2.8% | 1 |
| 1820s | 3.0% | 3.0% | 3.0% | 1 |
| 1830s | 3.3% | 3.3% | 3.3% | 1 |
| 1840s | 3.6% | 3.6% | 3.6% | 1 |
| 1850s | 4.0% | 4.0% | 4.0% | 1 |
| 1860s | 4.4% | 4.4% | 4.4% | 1 |
| 1870s | 4.8% | 4.8% | 4.8% | 1 |
| 1880s | 5.2% | 5.2% | 5.2% | 1 |
| 1890s | 5.7% | 5.7% | 5.7% | 1 |
| 1900s | 6.3% | 6.3% | 6.3% | 1 |
| 1910s | 6.9% | 6.9% | 6.9% | 1 |
| 1920s | 7.5% | 7.5% | 7.5% | 1 |
| 1930s | 8.2% | 8.2% | 8.2% | 1 |
| 1940s | 9.0% | 9.0% | 9.0% | 1 |
| 1950s | 10.0% | 9.9% | 10.1% | 10 |
| 1960s | 11.2% | 10.1% | 12.5% | 10 |
| 1970s | 14.6% | 12.9% | 16.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | 18.2% | 16.5% | 20.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 22.3% | 20.8% | 23.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 25.8% | 23.8% | 27.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 31.0% | 28.1% | 33.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 36.1% | 34.5% | 37.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near East Timor
- 168 Guinea-Bissau 38.7% compare
- 169 Antigua and Barbuda 38.5% compare
- 169 Saint Kitts and Nevis 38.5% compare
- 172 Lesotho 37.4% compare
- 173 Bangladesh 37.4% compare
- 174 Chad 37.0% compare
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 share of population living in urbanized areas in East Timor?
- Share of population living in urbanized areas in East Timor was 37.6% in 2025, according to HYDE (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in urbanized areas recorded in East Timor?
- The highest recorded value was 37.6% in 2025.
- What is the lowest share of population living in urbanized areas recorded in East Timor?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1000.
- How does East Timor rank for share of population living in urbanized areas?
- East Timor ranks 171st out of 202 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of population living in urbanized areas rising or falling in East Timor?
- Over the last ten years it is up 20.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this East Timor data come from?
- The figures come from HYDE (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in urbanized areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of population living in urban areas in a country over time.