Population density (people per sq. km of land area) in Eritrea
Eritrea: Population density (people per sq. km of land area) was 28.64 people per sq. km of land area in 2023. ▲ Rising
Population density in Eritrea, 1993–2023
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
In 2023, population density in Eritrea stood at 28.64 people per sq. km of land area. That is the highest value across all 31 years on record.
The figure is up 1.8% on the previous year and up 7.0% over five years.
Over the whole period, population density in Eritrea peaked at 28.64 people per sq. km of land area in 2023 and was at its lowest, 26.76 people per sq. km of land area, in 2019.
That places Eritrea 173rd out of 216 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 31 years of available data.
Population density (people per sq. km of land area) in Eritrea, year by year
| Year | people per sq. km of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 18.38 people per sq. km of land area | — |
| 1994 | 18.95 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 1995 | 20.05 people per sq. km of land area | +5.8% |
| 1996 | 21.07 people per sq. km of land area | +5.1% |
| 1997 | 21.31 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 1998 | 21.59 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 1999 | 21.91 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 2000 | 22.25 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 2001 | 22.89 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 2002 | 23.69 people per sq. km of land area | +3.5% |
| 2003 | 24.69 people per sq. km of land area | +4.2% |
| 2004 | 21.48 people per sq. km of land area | -13.0% |
| 2005 | 21.99 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 2006 | 22.34 people per sq. km of land area | +1.6% |
| 2007 | 22.67 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 2008 | 23.26 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 2009 | 23.85 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 2010 | 24.33 people per sq. km of land area | +2.0% |
| 2011 | 24.76 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 2012 | 25.08 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 2013 | 25.4 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 2014 | 25.57 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 2015 | 25.65 people per sq. km of land area | +0.3% |
| 2016 | 25.81 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 2017 | 26.02 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 2018 | 26.37 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 2019 | 26.76 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 2020 | 27.19 people per sq. km of land area | +1.6% |
| 2021 | 27.65 people per sq. km of land area | +1.7% |
| 2022 | 28.14 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 2023 | 28.64 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
Eritrea compared with similar countries
- Eritrea's 28.64 people per sq. km of land area is below the median for low income countries, which is 63.56 people per sq. km of land area, 45% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Eritrea's 28.64 people per sq. km of land area is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 68.7 people per sq. km of land area, 42% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 20.47 people per sq. km of land area | 18.38 people per sq. km of land area | 21.91 people per sq. km of land area | 7 |
| 2000s | 22.91 people per sq. km of land area | 21.48 people per sq. km of land area | 24.69 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2010s | 25.57 people per sq. km of land area | 24.33 people per sq. km of land area | 26.76 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2020s | 27.9 people per sq. km of land area | 27.19 people per sq. km of land area | 28.64 people per sq. km of land area | 4 |
Countries ranked near Eritrea
- 170 Latvia 30.27 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 171 Angola 29.48 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 172 Somalia 29.26 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 174 Solomon Islands 28.58 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 175 Zambia 27.88 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 176 Sudan 26.79 people per sq. km of land area compare
More urban development data for Eritrea
- Population in the largest city 92.5% (2025)
- PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure 33.66 micrograms per cubic meter (2023)
- Population in largest city 1.15 million (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 23 - Ecological 14.75 Hectares (2020)
- PM2.5 air pollution, population exposed to levels exceeding WHO 100.0% (2017)
- Dollar value of all resources made available to strengthen 726,281 (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population density in Eritrea?
- Population density in Eritrea was 28.64 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 Eritrea?
- The highest recorded value was 28.64 people per sq. km of land area in 2023.
- What is the lowest population density recorded in Eritrea?
- The lowest recorded value was 26.76 people per sq. km of land area in 2019.
- How does Eritrea rank for population density?
- Eritrea ranks 173rd out of 216 countries with data for 2023.
- Where does this Eritrea 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.