Macao SAR, China Urban Population

Macao SAR’s urban population has risen from 95.25 percent in 1960 to a full 100.00 percent in 2025, marking the highest share recorded over the 66‑year coverage period and placing the territory seventh globally among all nations and regions. The steady climb reflects the territory’s limited land area and the concentration of residential, commercial and service activities within a compact urban core, a pattern also observed in peer jurisdictions such as Hong Kong SAR and Monaco, which report urbanization rates of 100.00 percent. The all‑time trough in 1960 coincided with an era of modest economic diversification, while the peak in 2025 aligns with the maturation of the gaming and tourism sectors that have intensified demand for high‑density development. Given the physical constraints on further spatial expansion, future changes in the urban population share are likely to depend on policy shifts toward vertical growth, redevelopment of existing districts, or the reclassification of peri‑urban zones rather than on additional increases in the percentage itself.