Population density (people per sq. km of land area) in Portugal
Portugal: Population density (people per sq. km of land area) was 116.75 people per sq. km of land area in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
116.75 people per sq. km of land area
Change on year
up 1.1%
World rank
94th
of 216 countries
All-time high
116.75 people per sq. km of land area
in 2024
All-time low
94.32 people per sq. km of land area
in 1972
Years of data
64
1961–2024
Population density in Portugal, 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
In 2024, population density in Portugal stood at 116.75 people per sq. km of land area. That is the highest value across all 64 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.1% on the previous year and up 2.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population density in Portugal peaked at 116.75 people per sq. km of land area in 2024 and was at its lowest, 94.32 people per sq. km of land area, in 1972.
That places Portugal 94th 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 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% |
| 2024 | 116.75 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
Portugal compared with similar countries
- Portugal's 116.75 people per sq. km of land area is below the median for high income countries, which is 147 people per sq. km of land area, 79% of the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Portugal's 116.75 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, 1.4× the median. (56 countries reporting)
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 | 114.33 people per sq. km of land area | 112.41 people per sq. km of land area | 116.75 people per sq. km of land area | 5 |
Countries ranked near Portugal
- 91 Poland 119.45 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 92 Ethiopia 117.69 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 93 Egypt 117.07 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 95 Slovakia 112.77 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 96 Austria 111.22 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 97 Turkey 111.12 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 116.75 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 Portugal?
- The highest recorded value was 116.75 people per sq. km of land area in 2024.
- 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 94th out of 216 countries with data for 2024.
- Is population density rising or falling in Portugal?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.8%. 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.