Share of population living in urban areas in East Timor
East Timor: Share of population living in urban areas was 49.4% in 2020. ▲ Rising
Share of population living in urban areas in East Timor, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2020, share of population living in urban areas in East Timor stood at 49.4%. That is the highest value across all 15 years on record.
That represents a change of up 26.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in urban areas in East Timor peaked at 49.4% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 11.1%, in 1950.
That places East Timor 210th out of 236 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 15 years of available data.
Share of population living in urban areas in East Timor, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 11.1% | — |
| 1955 | 12.2% | +9.4% |
| 1960 | 13.5% | +11.1% |
| 1965 | 15.2% | +12.1% |
| 1970 | 17.1% | +12.6% |
| 1975 | 19.1% | +11.6% |
| 1980 | 22.4% | +17.6% |
| 1985 | 25.1% | +11.8% |
| 1990 | 29.2% | +16.5% |
| 1995 | 31.1% | +6.6% |
| 2000 | 28.4% | -8.7% |
| 2005 | 33.4% | +17.4% |
| 2010 | 39.0% | +16.8% |
| 2015 | 43.5% | +11.5% |
| 2020 | 49.4% | +13.6% |
East Timor compared with similar countries
- East Timor's 49.4% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 71.3%, 69% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- East Timor's 49.4% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 70.5%, 70% of the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 11.7% | 11.1% | 12.2% | 2 |
| 1960s | 14.4% | 13.5% | 15.2% | 2 |
| 1970s | 18.1% | 17.1% | 19.1% | 2 |
| 1980s | 23.7% | 22.4% | 25.1% | 2 |
| 1990s | 30.2% | 29.2% | 31.1% | 2 |
| 2000s | 30.9% | 28.4% | 33.4% | 2 |
| 2010s | 41.2% | 39.0% | 43.5% | 2 |
| 2020s | 49.4% | 49.4% | 49.4% | 1 |
Countries ranked near East Timor
- 207 Mozambique 50.0% compare
- 208 Niger 49.4% compare
- 209 Burkina Faso 49.4% compare
- 211 Mali 47.1% compare
- 212 Papua New Guinea 46.3% compare
- 213 Dominica 42.9% compare
More reference data data for East Timor
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.1569 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O (AR5) - Manure left on 112.76 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O (AR5) - Manure Management 75.64 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O (AR5) - Manure applied 41.57 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O (AR5) - IPCC Agriculture 249.78 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.0888 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 0.6476 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0468 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.012 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 0.9426 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in urban areas in East Timor?
- Share of population living in urban areas in East Timor was 49.4% in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in urban areas recorded in East Timor?
- The highest recorded value was 49.4% in 2020.
- What is the lowest share of population living in urban areas recorded in East Timor?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.1% in 1950.
- How does East Timor rank for share of population living in urban areas?
- East Timor ranks 210th out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in urban areas rising or falling in East Timor?
- Over the last ten years it is up 26.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this East Timor data come from?
- The figures come from European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in urban areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Estimated share of the population living in urban areas (the sum of cities and towns and suburbs). Urban areas are identified using satellite imagery and population data, applying the same definitions across countries.