India vs Sub-Saharan Africa: Population density
Population density over time
- India
- Sub-Saharan Africa
How they compare
India currently reports 483.68 people per sq. km of land area against 52.66 people per sq. km of land area in Sub-Saharan Africa, a difference of 431.02 people per sq. km of land area.
That makes India's figure about 9.2 times Sub-Saharan Africa's.
Across all 63 years both countries report, India has been ahead every year.
India ranks 25th and Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 26th of 216 countries.
India has averaged higher in every one of the 7 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | India | Sub-Saharan Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 164.82 people per sq. km of land area | 12.84 people per sq. km of land area | 151.98 people per sq. km of land area | India |
| 1970s | 203.81 people per sq. km of land area | 16.58 people per sq. km of land area | 187.23 people per sq. km of land area | India |
| 1980s | 257.27 people per sq. km of land area | 22.18 people per sq. km of land area | 235.09 people per sq. km of land area | India |
| 1990s | 319.9 people per sq. km of land area | 28.18 people per sq. km of land area | 291.72 people per sq. km of land area | India |
| 2000s | 384.7 people per sq. km of land area | 36.16 people per sq. km of land area | 348.55 people per sq. km of land area | India |
| 2010s | 443.52 people per sq. km of land area | 43.29 people per sq. km of land area | 400.24 people per sq. km of land area | India |
| 2020s | 477.63 people per sq. km of land area | 50.76 people per sq. km of land area | 426.87 people per sq. km of land area | India |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher population density, India or Sub-Saharan Africa?
- India, at 483.68 people per sq. km of land area against 52.66 people per sq. km of land area in Sub-Saharan Africa as of 2023.
- What is the difference in population density between India and Sub-Saharan Africa?
- 431.02 people per sq. km of land area, with India ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for India and Sub-Saharan Africa?
- 63 years are reported by both, from 1961 to 2023.
- How do India and Sub-Saharan Africa rank globally for population density?
- India ranks 25th and Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 26th of 216 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as Population density (people per sq. km of land area). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Population density is midyear population divided by land area in square kilometers. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship--except for refugees not permanently settled in the country of asylum, who are generally considered part of the population of their country of origin. Land area is a country's total area, excluding area under inland water bodies, national claims to continental shelf, and exclusive economic zones. In most cases the definition of inland water bodies includes major rivers and lakes.