Population density (people per sq. km of land area) in Qatar
Qatar: Population density (people per sq. km of land area) was 248.72 people per sq. km of land area in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
248.72 people per sq. km of land area
Change on year
up 7.6%
World rank
56th
of 216 countries
All-time high
248.72 people per sq. km of land area
in 2024
All-time low
3.42 people per sq. km of land area
in 1961
Years of data
64
1961–2024
Population density in Qatar, 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
Qatar recorded 248.72 people per sq. km of land area for population density in 2024. That is the highest value across all 64 years on record.
The figure is up 7.6% on the previous year and up 32.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population density in Qatar peaked at 248.72 people per sq. km of land area in 2024 and was at its lowest, 3.42 people per sq. km of land area, in 1961.
That places Qatar 56th out of 216 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Population density (people per sq. km of land area) in Qatar, year by year
| Year | people per sq. km of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 3.42 people per sq. km of land area | — |
| 1962 | 3.84 people per sq. km of land area | +12.5% |
| 1963 | 4.34 people per sq. km of land area | +12.9% |
| 1964 | 4.9 people per sq. km of land area | +12.9% |
| 1965 | 5.52 people per sq. km of land area | +12.7% |
| 1966 | 6.22 people per sq. km of land area | +12.7% |
| 1967 | 7.01 people per sq. km of land area | +12.8% |
| 1968 | 7.9 people per sq. km of land area | +12.7% |
| 1969 | 8.87 people per sq. km of land area | +12.3% |
| 1970 | 10.02 people per sq. km of land area | +12.9% |
| 1971 | 11.31 people per sq. km of land area | +12.9% |
| 1972 | 12.62 people per sq. km of land area | +11.5% |
| 1973 | 13.94 people per sq. km of land area | +10.5% |
| 1974 | 15.28 people per sq. km of land area | +9.6% |
| 1975 | 16.63 people per sq. km of land area | +8.9% |
| 1976 | 18.01 people per sq. km of land area | +8.3% |
| 1977 | 19.4 people per sq. km of land area | +7.8% |
| 1978 | 20.83 people per sq. km of land area | +7.3% |
| 1979 | 22.28 people per sq. km of land area | +7.0% |
| 1980 | 23.77 people per sq. km of land area | +6.7% |
| 1981 | 25.28 people per sq. km of land area | +6.4% |
| 1982 | 26.83 people per sq. km of land area | +6.1% |
| 1983 | 28.4 people per sq. km of land area | +5.8% |
| 1984 | 29.96 people per sq. km of land area | +5.5% |
| 1985 | 31.52 people per sq. km of land area | +5.2% |
| 1986 | 32.94 people per sq. km of land area | +4.5% |
| 1987 | 34.2 people per sq. km of land area | +3.8% |
| 1988 | 35.42 people per sq. km of land area | +3.6% |
| 1989 | 36.66 people per sq. km of land area | +3.5% |
| 1990 | 37.91 people per sq. km of land area | +3.4% |
| 1991 | 39.18 people per sq. km of land area | +3.3% |
| 1992 | 40.45 people per sq. km of land area | +3.3% |
| 1993 | 41.74 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 1994 | 43.02 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 1995 | 44.3 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 1996 | 45.57 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 1997 | 47.42 people per sq. km of land area | +4.1% |
| 1998 | 50 people per sq. km of land area | +5.5% |
| 1999 | 52.76 people per sq. km of land area | +5.5% |
| 2000 | 55.55 people per sq. km of land area | +5.3% |
| 2001 | 58.39 people per sq. km of land area | +5.1% |
| 2002 | 61.26 people per sq. km of land area | +4.9% |
| 2003 | 64.14 people per sq. km of land area | +4.7% |
| 2004 | 66.61 people per sq. km of land area | +3.8% |
| 2005 | 71.09 people per sq. km of land area | +6.7% |
| 2006 | 83.79 people per sq. km of land area | +17.9% |
| 2007 | 104.1 people per sq. km of land area | +24.2% |
| 2008 | 122.91 people per sq. km of land area | +18.1% |
| 2009 | 138.58 people per sq. km of land area | +12.8% |
| 2010 | 139.26 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 139.94 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 2012 | 148.36 people per sq. km of land area | +6.0% |
| 2013 | 165.07 people per sq. km of land area | +11.3% |
| 2014 | 187.27 people per sq. km of land area | +13.5% |
| 2015 | 204.05 people per sq. km of land area | +9.0% |
| 2016 | 215.59 people per sq. km of land area | +5.7% |
| 2017 | 221.57 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 2018 | 224.61 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 2019 | 229.65 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 2020 | 243.18 people per sq. km of land area | +5.9% |
| 2021 | 218.01 people per sq. km of land area | -10.4% |
| 2022 | 231.27 people per sq. km of land area | +6.1% |
| 2023 | 231.16 people per sq. km of land area | -0.0% |
| 2024 | 248.72 people per sq. km of land area | +7.6% |
Qatar compared with similar countries
- Qatar's 248.72 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, 1.7× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Qatar's 248.72 people per sq. km of land area is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 117.07 people per sq. km of land area, 2.1× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 5.78 people per sq. km of land area | 3.42 people per sq. km of land area | 8.87 people per sq. km of land area | 9 |
| 1970s | 16.03 people per sq. km of land area | 10.02 people per sq. km of land area | 22.28 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1980s | 30.5 people per sq. km of land area | 23.77 people per sq. km of land area | 36.66 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1990s | 44.23 people per sq. km of land area | 37.91 people per sq. km of land area | 52.76 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2000s | 82.64 people per sq. km of land area | 55.55 people per sq. km of land area | 138.58 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2010s | 187.54 people per sq. km of land area | 139.26 people per sq. km of land area | 229.65 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2020s | 234.47 people per sq. km of land area | 218.01 people per sq. km of land area | 248.72 people per sq. km of land area | 5 |
Countries ranked near Qatar
- 53 Nigeria 255.48 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 54 Liechtenstein 252.81 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 55 Uganda 249.43 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 57 Sao Tome and Principe 245.35 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 58 Germany 239.01 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 59 Dominican Republic 237.1 people per sq. km of land area compare
More urban development data for Qatar
- Population in the largest city 28.2% (2025)
- PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure 107.76 micrograms per cubic meter (2023)
- Population in largest city 831,689 (2025)
- Crude steelmaking capacity 3.24 Tonnes (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 23 - Ecological 43.39 Hectares (2020)
- PM2.5 air pollution, population exposed to levels exceeding WHO 100.0% (2017)
- Adjusted rural to urban parity index for achieving a minimum 0.5342 (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population density in Qatar?
- Population density in Qatar was 248.72 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 Qatar?
- The highest recorded value was 248.72 people per sq. km of land area in 2024.
- What is the lowest population density recorded in Qatar?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.42 people per sq. km of land area in 1961.
- How does Qatar rank for population density?
- Qatar ranks 56th out of 216 countries with data for 2024.
- Is population density rising or falling in Qatar?
- Over the last ten years it is up 32.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Qatar 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 64 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
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.