Population density in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)
Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries): Population density was 32.23 people per sq. km of land area in 2023. ▲ Rising
Population density in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries), 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
In 2023, population density in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) stood at 32.23 people per sq. km of land area. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.7% on the previous year and up 8.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population density in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) peaked at 32.23 people per sq. km of land area in 2023 and was at its lowest, 10.76 people per sq. km of land area, in 1961.
That places Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) 42nd out of 47 groups with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Population density in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries), year by year
| Year | people per sq. km of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 10.76 people per sq. km of land area | — |
| 1962 | 11.06 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 1963 | 11.38 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 1964 | 11.69 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 1965 | 12.02 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 1966 | 12.34 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 1967 | 12.68 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 1968 | 13.01 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 1969 | 13.35 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 1970 | 13.68 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 1971 | 14.03 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 1972 | 14.37 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 1973 | 14.73 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 1974 | 15.09 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1975 | 15.45 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1976 | 15.82 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1977 | 16.19 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1978 | 16.57 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1979 | 16.96 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 1980 | 17.35 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 1981 | 17.74 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 1982 | 18.14 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 1983 | 18.54 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 1984 | 18.94 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 1985 | 19.34 people per sq. km of land area | +2.1% |
| 1986 | 19.75 people per sq. km of land area | +2.1% |
| 1987 | 20.15 people per sq. km of land area | +2.0% |
| 1988 | 20.55 people per sq. km of land area | +2.0% |
| 1989 | 20.96 people per sq. km of land area | +2.0% |
| 1990 | 21.36 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 1991 | 21.76 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 1992 | 22.17 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 1993 | 22.57 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 1994 | 22.96 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 1995 | 23.36 people per sq. km of land area | +1.7% |
| 1996 | 23.75 people per sq. km of land area | +1.7% |
| 1997 | 24.14 people per sq. km of land area | +1.6% |
| 1998 | 24.57 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 1999 | 24.95 people per sq. km of land area | +1.6% |
| 2000 | 25.33 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 2001 | 25.7 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 2002 | 26.05 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 2003 | 26.4 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 2004 | 26.74 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 2005 | 27.07 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 2006 | 27.4 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 2007 | 27.73 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 2008 | 28.06 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 2009 | 28.39 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 2010 | 28.71 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 2011 | 29.03 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 2012 | 29.35 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 2013 | 29.66 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 2014 | 29.98 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 2015 | 30.28 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 2016 | 30.58 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 2017 | 30.87 people per sq. km of land area | +0.9% |
| 2018 | 31.14 people per sq. km of land area | +0.9% |
| 2019 | 31.4 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 2020 | 31.61 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 2021 | 31.8 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 2022 | 32 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 2023 | 32.23 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 12.03 people per sq. km of land area | 10.76 people per sq. km of land area | 13.35 people per sq. km of land area | 9 |
| 1970s | 15.29 people per sq. km of land area | 13.68 people per sq. km of land area | 16.96 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1980s | 19.14 people per sq. km of land area | 17.35 people per sq. km of land area | 20.96 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1990s | 23.16 people per sq. km of land area | 21.36 people per sq. km of land area | 24.95 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2000s | 26.89 people per sq. km of land area | 25.33 people per sq. km of land area | 28.39 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2010s | 30.1 people per sq. km of land area | 28.71 people per sq. km of land area | 31.4 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2020s | 31.91 people per sq. km of land area | 31.61 people per sq. km of land area | 32.23 people per sq. km of land area | 4 |
Countries ranked near Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)
- 39 Guam 308.34 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 40 El Salvador 304.52 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 41 Cayman Islands 304.32 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 42 United States Virgin Islands 299.76 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 43 Saint Lucia 293.91 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 44 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 283.25 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 45 Kuwait 272.36 people per sq. km of land area compare
More urban development data for Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)
- Population in the largest city 23.4% (2025)
- PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure 17.55 micrograms per cubic meter (2023)
- PM2.5 air pollution, population exposed to levels exceeding WHO 87.5% (2017)
All data for Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) →
Frequently asked questions
- What is population density in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Population density in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) was 32.23 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 Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The highest recorded value was 32.23 people per sq. km of land area in 2023.
- What is the lowest population density recorded in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.76 people per sq. km of land area in 1961.
- How does Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) rank for population density?
- Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 42nd out of 47 groups with data for 2023.
- Is population density rising or falling in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) 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.