The line chart illustrates the percentage of people residing in urban areas across four Asian countries: Japan, Thailand, Hong Kong, and South Korea, over a 30-year period from 1980 to 2010.
Overall, the proportion of the population living in cities increased in all four countries during this time. Hong Kong consistently had the highest percentage of urban dwellers, while Thailand maintained the lowest.
In 1980, Hong Kong already showed a very high urbanization rate at 89%, which then steadily rose to 94% by 2010. South Korea also experienced significant urban growth, starting at 56% in 1980 and reaching 83% by the end of the period, marking the most substantial increase among the four nations. By 2000, South Korea's urban population surpassed Japan's.
Japan began with 62% of its population in cities in 1980, increasing gradually to 78% by 2010. Thailand, on the other hand, had the lowest urbanization figures throughout the period, starting at 30% and climbing to 49% by 2010. Despite its consistent growth, Thailand remained considerably less urbanized compared to the other three countries.