Population density (people per sq. km of land area) in Italy
Italy: Population density (people per sq. km of land area) was 199.35 people per sq. km of land area in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
199.35 people per sq. km of land area
Change on year
down 0.1%
World rank
67th
of 216 countries
All-time high
203.98 people per sq. km of land area
in 2014
All-time low
171.83 people per sq. km of land area
in 1961
Years of data
64
1961–2024
Population density in Italy, 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
Italy recorded 199.35 people per sq. km of land area for population density in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.1% on the previous year and down 2.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population density in Italy peaked at 203.98 people per sq. km of land area in 2014 and was at its lowest, 171.83 people per sq. km of land area, in 1961.
That places Italy 67th out of 216 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
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 Italy, year by year
| Year | people per sq. km of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 171.83 people per sq. km of land area | — |
| 1962 | 173 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 1963 | 174.26 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 1964 | 175.7 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 1965 | 177.19 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 1966 | 178.57 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 1967 | 179.87 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 1968 | 181.01 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 1969 | 182.03 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 1970 | 183 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 1971 | 183.85 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 1972 | 184.9 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 1973 | 186.16 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 1974 | 187.38 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 1975 | 188.5 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 1976 | 189.45 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 1977 | 190.25 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 1978 | 190.93 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 1979 | 191.49 people per sq. km of land area | +0.3% |
| 1980 | 191.88 people per sq. km of land area | +0.2% |
| 1981 | 192.11 people per sq. km of land area | +0.1% |
| 1982 | 192.25 people per sq. km of land area | +0.1% |
| 1983 | 192.32 people per sq. km of land area | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 192.37 people per sq. km of land area | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 192.42 people per sq. km of land area | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 192.43 people per sq. km of land area | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 192.45 people per sq. km of land area | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 192.54 people per sq. km of land area | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 192.69 people per sq. km of land area | +0.1% |
| 1990 | 192.85 people per sq. km of land area | +0.1% |
| 1991 | 192.98 people per sq. km of land area | +0.1% |
| 1992 | 193.12 people per sq. km of land area | +0.1% |
| 1993 | 193.23 people per sq. km of land area | +0.1% |
| 1994 | 193.27 people per sq. km of land area | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 193.28 people per sq. km of land area | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 193.33 people per sq. km of land area | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 193.43 people per sq. km of land area | +0.1% |
| 1998 | 193.49 people per sq. km of land area | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 193.52 people per sq. km of land area | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 192.56 people per sq. km of land area | -0.5% |
| 2001 | 192.67 people per sq. km of land area | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 193.06 people per sq. km of land area | +0.2% |
| 2003 | 194.1 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 2004 | 195.55 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 2005 | 196.7 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 2006 | 197.49 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 2007 | 198.69 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 2008 | 200.23 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 2009 | 201.39 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 2010 | 202.28 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 202.99 people per sq. km of land area | +0.3% |
| 2012 | 203.54 people per sq. km of land area | +0.3% |
| 2013 | 203.95 people per sq. km of land area | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 203.98 people per sq. km of land area | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 203.67 people per sq. km of land area | -0.2% |
| 2016 | 203.29 people per sq. km of land area | -0.2% |
| 2017 | 202.9 people per sq. km of land area | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 202.48 people per sq. km of land area | -0.2% |
| 2019 | 201.98 people per sq. km of land area | -0.2% |
| 2020 | 201 people per sq. km of land area | -0.5% |
| 2021 | 199.97 people per sq. km of land area | -0.5% |
| 2022 | 199.56 people per sq. km of land area | -0.2% |
| 2023 | 199.46 people per sq. km of land area | -0.0% |
| 2024 | 199.35 people per sq. km of land area | -0.1% |
Italy compared with similar countries
- Italy's 199.35 people per sq. km of land area is above the median for high income countries, which is 147 people per sq. km of land area, 1.4× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Italy's 199.35 people per sq. km of land area is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 85.13 people per sq. km of land area, 2.3× the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 177.05 people per sq. km of land area | 171.83 people per sq. km of land area | 182.03 people per sq. km of land area | 9 |
| 1970s | 187.59 people per sq. km of land area | 183 people per sq. km of land area | 191.49 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1980s | 192.35 people per sq. km of land area | 191.88 people per sq. km of land area | 192.69 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1990s | 193.25 people per sq. km of land area | 192.85 people per sq. km of land area | 193.52 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2000s | 196.24 people per sq. km of land area | 192.56 people per sq. km of land area | 201.39 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2010s | 203.11 people per sq. km of land area | 201.98 people per sq. km of land area | 203.98 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2020s | 199.87 people per sq. km of land area | 199.35 people per sq. km of land area | 201 people per sq. km of land area | 5 |
Countries ranked near Italy
- 64 Antigua and Barbuda 212.97 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 65 Marshall Islands 207.45 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 66 Nepal 206.84 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 68 Saint Kitts and Nevis 179.47 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 69 Andorra 175.08 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 70 Guatemala 171.76 people per sq. km of land area compare
More urban development data for Italy
- Population in the largest city 10.6% (2025)
- PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure 14.29 micrograms per cubic meter (2023)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per capita 0.1953 units per person (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 11.51 million (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, annual 0.2457 % 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 38.72 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Population in largest city 4.35 million (2025)
- Crude steelmaking capacity 34.69 Tonnes (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 23 - Ecological 994 Hectares (2020)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population density in Italy?
- Population density in Italy was 199.35 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 Italy?
- The highest recorded value was 203.98 people per sq. km of land area in 2014.
- What is the lowest population density recorded in Italy?
- The lowest recorded value was 171.83 people per sq. km of land area in 1961.
- How does Italy rank for population density?
- Italy ranks 67th out of 216 countries with data for 2024.
- Is population density rising or falling in Italy?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Italy 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.