Population density in Portugal
Portugal: Population density was 115.47 people per sq. km of land area in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
115.47 people per sq. km of land area
Change on year
up 1.4%
World rank
92nd
of 216 countries
All-time high
115.47 people per sq. km of land area
in 2023
All-time low
94.32 people per sq. km of land area
in 1972
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Population density in Portugal, 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 Portugal stood at 115.47 people per sq. km of land area. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.4% on the previous year and up 1.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population density in Portugal peaked at 115.47 people per sq. km of land area in 2023 and was at its lowest, 94.32 people per sq. km of land area, in 1972.
That places Portugal 92nd out of 216 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Population density in Portugal, year by year
| Year | people per sq. km of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 97.59 people per sq. km of land area | — |
| 1962 | 98.29 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 1963 | 98.69 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 1964 | 98.75 people per sq. km of land area | +0.1% |
| 1965 | 98.35 people per sq. km of land area | -0.4% |
| 1966 | 97.61 people per sq. km of land area | -0.8% |
| 1967 | 96.99 people per sq. km of land area | -0.6% |
| 1968 | 96.58 people per sq. km of land area | -0.4% |
| 1969 | 95.71 people per sq. km of land area | -0.9% |
| 1970 | 94.87 people per sq. km of land area | -0.9% |
| 1971 | 94.47 people per sq. km of land area | -0.4% |
| 1972 | 94.32 people per sq. km of land area | -0.2% |
| 1973 | 94.35 people per sq. km of land area | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 95.68 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 1975 | 99.38 people per sq. km of land area | +3.9% |
| 1976 | 102.25 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 1977 | 103.34 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 1978 | 104.46 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 1979 | 105.59 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 1980 | 106.74 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 1981 | 107.67 people per sq. km of land area | +0.9% |
| 1982 | 108.33 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 1983 | 108.83 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 1984 | 109.25 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 1985 | 109.55 people per sq. km of land area | +0.3% |
| 1986 | 109.65 people per sq. km of land area | +0.1% |
| 1987 | 109.62 people per sq. km of land area | -0.0% |
| 1988 | 109.5 people per sq. km of land area | -0.1% |
| 1989 | 109.34 people per sq. km of land area | -0.1% |
| 1990 | 109.11 people per sq. km of land area | -0.2% |
| 1991 | 108.86 people per sq. km of land area | -0.2% |
| 1992 | 108.77 people per sq. km of land area | -0.1% |
| 1993 | 108.9 people per sq. km of land area | +0.1% |
| 1994 | 109.2 people per sq. km of land area | +0.3% |
| 1995 | 109.58 people per sq. km of land area | +0.3% |
| 1996 | 109.99 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 1997 | 110.48 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 1998 | 111.04 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 1999 | 111.67 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 2000 | 112.46 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 2001 | 113.25 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 2002 | 113.88 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 2003 | 114.3 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 114.58 people per sq. km of land area | +0.2% |
| 2005 | 114.83 people per sq. km of land area | +0.2% |
| 2006 | 115.03 people per sq. km of land area | +0.2% |
| 2007 | 115.26 people per sq. km of land area | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 115.43 people per sq. km of land area | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 115.39 people per sq. km of land area | -0.0% |
| 2010 | 115.44 people per sq. km of land area | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 115.27 people per sq. km of land area | -0.1% |
| 2012 | 114.8 people per sq. km of land area | -0.4% |
| 2013 | 114.16 people per sq. km of land area | -0.6% |
| 2014 | 113.54 people per sq. km of land area | -0.5% |
| 2015 | 113.07 people per sq. km of land area | -0.4% |
| 2016 | 112.72 people per sq. km of land area | -0.3% |
| 2017 | 112.44 people per sq. km of land area | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 112.26 people per sq. km of land area | -0.2% |
| 2019 | 112.29 people per sq. km of land area | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 112.41 people per sq. km of land area | +0.1% |
| 2021 | 113.11 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 2022 | 113.91 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 2023 | 115.47 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 97.62 people per sq. km of land area | 95.71 people per sq. km of land area | 98.75 people per sq. km of land area | 9 |
| 1970s | 98.87 people per sq. km of land area | 94.32 people per sq. km of land area | 105.59 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1980s | 108.85 people per sq. km of land area | 106.74 people per sq. km of land area | 109.65 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1990s | 109.76 people per sq. km of land area | 108.77 people per sq. km of land area | 111.67 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2000s | 114.44 people per sq. km of land area | 112.46 people per sq. km of land area | 115.43 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2010s | 113.6 people per sq. km of land area | 112.26 people per sq. km of land area | 115.44 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2020s | 113.73 people per sq. km of land area | 112.41 people per sq. km of land area | 115.47 people per sq. km of land area | 4 |
Countries ranked near Portugal
- 89 Azerbaijan 122.86 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 90 Poland 119.79 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 91 Sierra Leone 117.21 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 93 Egypt 115.06 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 94 Ethiopia 114.04 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 95 Slovakia 112.87 people per sq. km of land area compare
More urban development data for Portugal
- Population in the largest city 45.6% (2025)
- PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure 8.77 micrograms per cubic meter (2023)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per capita 0.4037 units per person (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 4.36 million (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, annual 0.427 % 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 47.22 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Population in largest city 3.03 million (2025)
- Crude steelmaking capacity 1.7 Tonnes (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 23 - Ecological 202.38 Hectares (2020)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population density in Portugal?
- Population density in Portugal was 115.47 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 Portugal?
- The highest recorded value was 115.47 people per sq. km of land area in 2023.
- What is the lowest population density recorded in Portugal?
- The lowest recorded value was 94.32 people per sq. km of land area in 1972.
- How does Portugal rank for population density?
- Portugal ranks 92nd out of 216 countries with data for 2023.
- Is population density rising or falling in Portugal?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Portugal 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.