Population growth (annual %) (UNESCO Institute) in Macao
Macao: Population growth (annual %) (UNESCO Institute) was 1.2% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Population growth in Macao, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in annual %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for population growth in Macao is 1.2%, measured in 2024.
The figure is up 442.8% on the previous year and down 75.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population growth in Macao peaked at 5.6% in 1983 and was at its lowest, -4.0%, in 1971.
That places Macao 95th out of 215 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Population growth (annual %) (UNESCO Institute) in Macao, year by year
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 0.8% | — |
| 1971 | -4.0% | -585.8% |
| 1972 | -1.0% | -75.9% |
| 1973 | -0.9% | -3.4% |
| 1974 | -0.9% | +0.9% |
| 1975 | -1.0% | +5.4% |
| 1976 | -1.1% | +11.8% |
| 1977 | -1.1% | +3.1% |
| 1978 | -0.2% | -79.1% |
| 1979 | 1.2% | -606.7% |
| 1980 | 1.9% | +56.5% |
| 1981 | 2.1% | +13.4% |
| 1982 | 3.9% | +85.5% |
| 1983 | 5.6% | +41.8% |
| 1984 | 4.9% | -12.2% |
| 1985 | 2.4% | -51.3% |
| 1986 | 2.2% | -9.4% |
| 1987 | 3.6% | +65.3% |
| 1988 | 2.9% | -18.0% |
| 1989 | 2.8% | -3.4% |
| 1990 | 3.0% | +5.1% |
| 1991 | 4.9% | +63.0% |
| 1992 | 5.3% | +9.5% |
| 1993 | 3.5% | -34.9% |
| 1994 | 3.3% | -5.5% |
| 1995 | 3.1% | -5.4% |
| 1996 | 1.4% | -54.6% |
| 1997 | 0.5% | -62.4% |
| 1998 | 1.2% | +125.3% |
| 1999 | 1.2% | +0.8% |
| 2000 | 0.7% | -37.9% |
| 2001 | 0.8% | +2.4% |
| 2002 | 1.0% | +35.1% |
| 2003 | 1.2% | +14.3% |
| 2004 | 2.5% | +109.6% |
| 2005 | 4.1% | +63.9% |
| 2006 | 5.2% | +29.0% |
| 2007 | 4.3% | -17.4% |
| 2008 | 3.7% | -13.5% |
| 2009 | -1.1% | -128.4% |
| 2010 | 0.4% | -135.2% |
| 2011 | 2.3% | +521.6% |
| 2012 | 3.3% | +41.2% |
| 2013 | 4.1% | +26.4% |
| 2014 | 4.9% | +18.7% |
| 2015 | 3.4% | -31.7% |
| 2016 | 1.5% | -55.8% |
| 2017 | -0.6% | -142.5% |
| 2018 | 1.6% | -354.9% |
| 2019 | 2.0% | +22.6% |
| 2020 | 2.0% | +0.3% |
| 2021 | -0.4% | -121.5% |
| 2022 | -0.8% | +80.4% |
| 2023 | 0.2% | -128.9% |
| 2024 | 1.2% | +442.8% |
Macao compared with similar countries
- Macao's 1.2% is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.5%, 2.3× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Macao's 1.2% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.7%, 1.8× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Population growth (annual %) (UNESCO Institute) in Macao 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | +606.7% | -0.2% | 1.2% |
| 1971 | -585.8% | 0.8% | -4.0% |
| 2011 | +521.6% | 0.4% | 2.3% |
| 2024 | +442.8% | 0.2% | 1.2% |
| 2018 | +354.9% | -0.6% | 1.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | -0.8% | -4.0% | 1.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.2% | 1.9% | 5.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.7% | 0.5% | 5.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.2% | -1.1% | 5.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.3% | -0.6% | 4.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.4% | -0.8% | 2.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Macao
More population data for Macao
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -1.43 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -100 % change on previous year (2047)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -1.43 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.406 % change on previous year (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -1.66 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate -1.4 (2100)
- Population density 10,036 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 7,889 (2100)
- Population growth rate by level of development -1.4 (2100)
- Urbanization vs gdp, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population growth in Macao?
- Population growth in Macao was 1.2% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest population growth recorded in Macao?
- The highest recorded value was 5.6% in 1983.
- What is the lowest population growth recorded in Macao?
- The lowest recorded value was -4.0% in 1971.
- How does Macao rank for population growth?
- Macao ranks 95th out of 215 countries with data for 2024.
- Is population growth rising or falling in Macao?
- Over the last ten years it is down 75.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Macao data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Population growth (annual %). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release