Population density (people per sq. km of land area) in India
India: Population density (people per sq. km of land area) was 488.01 people per sq. km of land area in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
488.01 people per sq. km of land area
Change on year
up 0.9%
World rank
25th
of 216 countries
All-time high
488.01 people per sq. km of land area
in 2024
All-time low
150.2 people per sq. km of land area
in 1961
Years of data
64
1961–2024
Population density in India, 1961–2024
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 India is 488.01 people per sq. km of land area, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 64 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.9% on the previous year and up 10.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population density in India peaked at 488.01 people per sq. km of land area in 2024 and was at its lowest, 150.2 people per sq. km of land area, in 1961.
That places India 25th out of 216 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 64 years of available data.
Population density (people per sq. km of land area) in India, year by year
| Year | people per sq. km of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 150.2 people per sq. km of land area | — |
| 1962 | 153.8 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1963 | 157.45 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1964 | 161.18 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1965 | 164.85 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 1966 | 168.42 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 1967 | 172.07 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 1968 | 175.81 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 1969 | 179.56 people per sq. km of land area | +2.1% |
| 1970 | 183.59 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 1971 | 187.71 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 1972 | 191.88 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 1973 | 196.24 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 1974 | 200.81 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 1975 | 205.61 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1976 | 210.5 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1977 | 215.53 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1978 | 220.55 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 1979 | 225.74 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1980 | 231.18 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1981 | 236.68 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1982 | 242.27 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1983 | 248.01 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1984 | 253.89 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1985 | 259.87 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1986 | 265.94 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 1987 | 272.07 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 1988 | 278.27 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 1989 | 284.56 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 1990 | 290.92 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 1991 | 297.3 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 1992 | 303.7 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 1993 | 310.14 people per sq. km of land area | +2.1% |
| 1994 | 316.55 people per sq. km of land area | +2.1% |
| 1995 | 322.99 people per sq. km of land area | +2.0% |
| 1996 | 329.5 people per sq. km of land area | +2.0% |
| 1997 | 336.05 people per sq. km of land area | +2.0% |
| 1998 | 342.62 people per sq. km of land area | +2.0% |
| 1999 | 349.2 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 2000 | 355.82 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 2001 | 362.54 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 2002 | 369.17 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 2003 | 375.62 people per sq. km of land area | +1.7% |
| 2004 | 382.08 people per sq. km of land area | +1.7% |
| 2005 | 388.36 people per sq. km of land area | +1.6% |
| 2006 | 394.49 people per sq. km of land area | +1.6% |
| 2007 | 400.47 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 2008 | 406.27 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 2009 | 412.19 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 2010 | 418.23 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 2011 | 424.2 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 2012 | 430.07 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 2013 | 435.84 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 2014 | 441.37 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 2015 | 446.67 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 2016 | 452.02 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 2017 | 457.31 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 2018 | 462.35 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 2019 | 467.19 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 2020 | 471.75 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 2021 | 475.65 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 2022 | 479.43 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 2023 | 483.68 people per sq. km of land area | +0.9% |
| 2024 | 488.01 people per sq. km of land area | +0.9% |
India compared with similar countries
- India's 488.01 people per sq. km of land area is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 82.92 people per sq. km of land area, 5.9× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- India's 488.01 people per sq. km of land area is above the median for South Asia, which is 421.14 people per sq. km of land area, 1.2× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 164.82 people per sq. km of land area | 150.2 people per sq. km of land area | 179.56 people per sq. km of land area | 9 |
| 1970s | 203.81 people per sq. km of land area | 183.59 people per sq. km of land area | 225.74 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1980s | 257.27 people per sq. km of land area | 231.18 people per sq. km of land area | 284.56 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1990s | 319.9 people per sq. km of land area | 290.92 people per sq. km of land area | 349.2 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2000s | 384.7 people per sq. km of land area | 355.82 people per sq. km of land area | 412.19 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2010s | 443.52 people per sq. km of land area | 418.23 people per sq. km of land area | 467.19 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2020s | 479.7 people per sq. km of land area | 471.75 people per sq. km of land area | 488.01 people per sq. km of land area | 5 |
Countries ranked near India
- 22 Netherlands 534.41 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 23 South Korea 530.24 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 24 Saint Martin (French part) 493 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 26 Comoros 463.51 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 27 Israel 462.21 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 28 Haiti 427.16 people per sq. km of land area compare
More urban development data for India
- Population in the largest city 6.6% (2025)
- PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure 54.05 micrograms per cubic meter (2023)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per capita 0.1696 units per person (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 248.30 million (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, annual 2.41 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per unit 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per square 79.61 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Population in largest city 34.67 million (2025)
- Crude steelmaking capacity 185.3 Tonnes (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 23 - Ecological 2,241 Hectares (2020)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population density in India?
- Population density in India was 488.01 people per sq. km of land area in 2024, 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 India?
- The highest recorded value was 488.01 people per sq. km of land area in 2024.
- What is the lowest population density recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 150.2 people per sq. km of land area in 1961.
- How does India rank for population density?
- India ranks 25th out of 216 countries with data for 2024.
- Is population density rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this India 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.