Population density in Eritrea
Eritrea: Population density 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 12.8% over ten 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, 18.38 people per sq. km of land area, in 1993.
That places Eritrea 172nd out of 215 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 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% |
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
- 169 Latvia 30.27 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 170 Angola 29.48 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 171 Somalia 29.26 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 173 Solomon Islands 28.58 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 174 Zambia 27.88 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 175 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 18.38 people per sq. km of land area in 1993.
- How does Eritrea rank for population density?
- Eritrea ranks 172nd out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is population density rising or falling in Eritrea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- 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.