East Asia & Pacific Population 2026

Overview

The East Asia & Pacific region recorded a 1-year population growth rate of 0.16% in 2025, reflecting a period of very slow expansion. This is a marked deceleration from the 10-year average growth rate of 0.45%, which itself represents a moderate decline from earlier decades. The region’s demographic profile is characterized by a transition toward lower fertility rates and aging populations, particularly in high-income economies such as Japan and South Korea, while some lower-income countries like the Philippines and Papua New Guinea still experience higher growth. The overall population figure of 2.39 billion in 2025 is a cumulative result of both natural increase and net migration, though the latter has a relatively small impact at the regional scale. Urbanization continues to be a dominant trend, with major metropolitan areas in China, Indonesia, and Vietnam driving economic activity, while rural populations in many areas are shrinking. The region’s population growth is now among the slowest of any global region, with the 0.16% annual rate placing it below the world average of approximately 0.9%.