Population density in Arab World
Arab World: Population density was 36.8 people per sq. km of land area in 2023. ▲ Rising
Population density in Arab World, 1961–2023
Source: FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in people per sq. km of land area.
Analysis
The most recent figure for population density in Arab World is 36.8 people per sq. km of land area, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
The figure is up 2.3% on the previous year and up 23.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population density in Arab World peaked at 36.8 people per sq. km of land area in 2023 and was at its lowest, 8.36 people per sq. km of land area, in 1961.
That places Arab World 35th out of 45 groups with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Population density in Arab World, year by year
| Year | people per sq. km of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 8.36 people per sq. km of land area | — |
| 1962 | 8.58 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 1963 | 8.81 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 1964 | 9.05 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 1965 | 9.3 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 1966 | 9.56 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 1967 | 9.83 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 1968 | 10.12 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 1969 | 10.42 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 1970 | 10.72 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 1971 | 11.03 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 1972 | 11.35 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 1973 | 11.69 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 1974 | 12.04 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 1975 | 12.42 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 1976 | 12.82 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 1977 | 13.23 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 1978 | 13.67 people per sq. km of land area | +3.3% |
| 1979 | 14.16 people per sq. km of land area | +3.6% |
| 1980 | 14.66 people per sq. km of land area | +3.5% |
| 1981 | 15.13 people per sq. km of land area | +3.3% |
| 1982 | 15.61 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 1983 | 16.11 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 1984 | 16.62 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 1985 | 17.14 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 1986 | 17.67 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 1987 | 18.2 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 1988 | 18.71 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 1989 | 19.22 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 1990 | 19.86 people per sq. km of land area | +3.3% |
| 1991 | 20.33 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 1992 | 20.86 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 1993 | 21.44 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 1994 | 22.04 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 1995 | 22.6 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 1996 | 23.16 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 1997 | 23.73 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1998 | 24.31 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1999 | 24.9 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 2000 | 25.5 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 2001 | 26.13 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 2002 | 26.76 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 2003 | 27.4 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 2004 | 28.04 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 2005 | 28.72 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 2006 | 29.42 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 2007 | 30.17 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 2008 | 30.95 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 2009 | 31.73 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 2010 | 32.37 people per sq. km of land area | +2.0% |
| 2011 | 33.12 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 2012 | 29.08 people per sq. km of land area | -12.2% |
| 2013 | 29.84 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 2014 | 30.55 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 2015 | 31.31 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 2016 | 32.05 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 2017 | 32.69 people per sq. km of land area | +2.0% |
| 2018 | 33.28 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 2019 | 33.91 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 2020 | 34.63 people per sq. km of land area | +2.1% |
| 2021 | 35.16 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 2022 | 35.98 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 2023 | 36.8 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 9.34 people per sq. km of land area | 8.36 people per sq. km of land area | 10.42 people per sq. km of land area | 9 |
| 1970s | 12.31 people per sq. km of land area | 10.72 people per sq. km of land area | 14.16 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1980s | 16.91 people per sq. km of land area | 14.66 people per sq. km of land area | 19.22 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1990s | 22.32 people per sq. km of land area | 19.86 people per sq. km of land area | 24.9 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2000s | 28.48 people per sq. km of land area | 25.5 people per sq. km of land area | 31.73 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2010s | 31.82 people per sq. km of land area | 29.08 people per sq. km of land area | 33.91 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2020s | 35.64 people per sq. km of land area | 34.63 people per sq. km of land area | 36.8 people per sq. km of land area | 4 |
Countries ranked near Arab World
- 32 Curacao 348.32 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 33 Grenada 344.36 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 34 Japan 341.55 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 35 Tuvalu 327.2 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 36 Pakistan 321.07 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 37 Viet Nam 320.18 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 38 Guam 308.34 people per sq. km of land area compare
More urban development data for Arab World
- Population in the largest city 27.6% (2025)
- PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure 38.92 micrograms per cubic meter (2023)
- PM2.5 air pollution, population exposed to levels exceeding WHO 100.0% (2017)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population density in Arab World?
- Population density in Arab World was 36.8 people per sq. km of land area in 2023, according to FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest population density recorded in Arab World?
- The highest recorded value was 36.8 people per sq. km of land area in 2023.
- What is the lowest population density recorded in Arab World?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.36 people per sq. km of land area in 1961.
- How does Arab World rank for population density?
- Arab World ranks 35th out of 45 groups with data for 2023.
- Is population density rising or falling in Arab World?
- Over the last ten years it is up 23.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Arab World data come from?
- The figures 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 part of Population density (people per sq. km of land area). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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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.