Population density in Ecuador
Ecuador: Population density was 72.4 people per sq. km of land area in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
72.4 people per sq. km of land area
Change on year
up 0.9%
World rank
133rd
of 215 countries
All-time high
72.4 people per sq. km of land area
in 2023
All-time low
17.06 people per sq. km of land area
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Population density in Ecuador, 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 Ecuador is 72.4 people per sq. km of land area, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.9% on the previous year and up 13.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population density in Ecuador peaked at 72.4 people per sq. km of land area in 2023 and was at its lowest, 17.06 people per sq. km of land area, in 1961.
That places Ecuador 133rd out of 215 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Population density in Ecuador, year by year
| Year | people per sq. km of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 17.06 people per sq. km of land area | — |
| 1962 | 17.55 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 1963 | 18.07 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 1964 | 18.6 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 1965 | 19.16 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 1966 | 19.74 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 1967 | 20.33 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 1968 | 20.95 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 1969 | 21.58 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 1970 | 22.23 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 1971 | 22.9 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 1972 | 23.58 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 1973 | 24.28 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 1974 | 24.99 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 1975 | 25.71 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 1976 | 26.44 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 1977 | 27.19 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 1978 | 27.94 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 1979 | 28.71 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 1980 | 29.5 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 1981 | 30.3 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 1982 | 31.11 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 1983 | 31.93 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 1984 | 32.78 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 1985 | 33.63 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 1986 | 34.48 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 1987 | 35.32 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1988 | 36.16 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1989 | 37 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 1990 | 37.83 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 1991 | 38.66 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 1992 | 39.48 people per sq. km of land area | +2.1% |
| 1993 | 40.29 people per sq. km of land area | +2.1% |
| 1994 | 41.08 people per sq. km of land area | +2.0% |
| 1995 | 41.87 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 1996 | 42.66 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 1997 | 43.46 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 1998 | 49.33 people per sq. km of land area | +13.5% |
| 1999 | 50.21 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 2000 | 51.09 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 2001 | 51.98 people per sq. km of land area | +1.7% |
| 2002 | 52.9 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 2003 | 53.84 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 2004 | 54.79 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 2005 | 55.75 people per sq. km of land area | +1.7% |
| 2006 | 56.72 people per sq. km of land area | +1.7% |
| 2007 | 57.69 people per sq. km of land area | +1.7% |
| 2008 | 58.69 people per sq. km of land area | +1.7% |
| 2009 | 59.7 people per sq. km of land area | +1.7% |
| 2010 | 60.7 people per sq. km of land area | +1.7% |
| 2011 | 61.71 people per sq. km of land area | +1.7% |
| 2012 | 62.7 people per sq. km of land area | +1.6% |
| 2013 | 63.65 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 2014 | 64.56 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 2015 | 65.49 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 2016 | 66.46 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 2017 | 67.48 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 2018 | 68.65 people per sq. km of land area | +1.7% |
| 2019 | 69.82 people per sq. km of land area | +1.7% |
| 2020 | 70.65 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 2021 | 71.2 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 2022 | 71.77 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 2023 | 72.4 people per sq. km of land area | +0.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 19.23 people per sq. km of land area | 17.06 people per sq. km of land area | 21.58 people per sq. km of land area | 9 |
| 1970s | 25.4 people per sq. km of land area | 22.23 people per sq. km of land area | 28.71 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1980s | 33.22 people per sq. km of land area | 29.5 people per sq. km of land area | 37 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1990s | 42.49 people per sq. km of land area | 37.83 people per sq. km of land area | 50.21 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2000s | 55.32 people per sq. km of land area | 51.09 people per sq. km of land area | 59.7 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2010s | 65.12 people per sq. km of land area | 60.7 people per sq. km of land area | 69.82 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2020s | 71.5 people per sq. km of land area | 70.65 people per sq. km of land area | 72.4 people per sq. km of land area | 4 |
Countries ranked near Ecuador
- 130 Tajikistan 74.86 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 131 Yemen 74.61 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 132 North Macedonia 72.47 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 134 Eswatini 71.54 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 135 Croatia 68.97 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 136 Mexico 66.74 people per sq. km of land area compare
More urban development data for Ecuador
- Population in the largest city 28.0% (2025)
- PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure 18.61 micrograms per cubic meter (2023)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per capita 0.2877 units per person (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 5.26 million (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, annual 1.58 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per unit 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per square 20.53 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Population in largest city 3.24 million (2025)
- Crude steelmaking capacity 1.26 Tonnes (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 23 - Ecological 118.9 Hectares (2020)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population density in Ecuador?
- Population density in Ecuador was 72.4 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 Ecuador?
- The highest recorded value was 72.4 people per sq. km of land area in 2023.
- What is the lowest population density recorded in Ecuador?
- The lowest recorded value was 17.06 people per sq. km of land area in 1961.
- How does Ecuador rank for population density?
- Ecuador ranks 133rd out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is population density rising or falling in Ecuador?
- Over the last ten years it is up 13.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Ecuador 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
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.