Population density (people per sq. km of land area) in United States
United States: Population density (people per sq. km of land area) was 37.17 people per sq. km of land area in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
37.17 people per sq. km of land area
Change on year
up 1.0%
World rank
166th
of 216 countries
All-time high
37.17 people per sq. km of land area
in 2024
All-time low
20.06 people per sq. km of land area
in 1961
Years of data
64
1961–2024
Population density in United States, 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
United States recorded 37.17 people per sq. km of land area for population density in 2024. That is the highest value across all 64 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.0% on the previous year and up 6.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population density in United States peaked at 37.17 people per sq. km of land area in 2024 and was at its lowest, 20.06 people per sq. km of land area, in 1961.
United States ranks 166th of 216 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
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 United States, year by year
| Year | people per sq. km of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 20.06 people per sq. km of land area | — |
| 1962 | 20.37 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 1963 | 20.66 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 1964 | 20.95 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 1965 | 21.21 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 1966 | 21.46 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 1967 | 21.7 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 1968 | 21.91 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 1969 | 22.13 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 1970 | 22.39 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 1971 | 22.67 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 1972 | 22.92 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 1973 | 23.14 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 1974 | 23.35 people per sq. km of land area | +0.9% |
| 1975 | 23.58 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 1976 | 23.81 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 1977 | 24.05 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 1978 | 24.3 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 1979 | 24.57 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 1980 | 24.81 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 1981 | 25.05 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 1982 | 25.29 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 1983 | 25.53 people per sq. km of land area | +0.9% |
| 1984 | 25.75 people per sq. km of land area | +0.9% |
| 1985 | 25.98 people per sq. km of land area | +0.9% |
| 1986 | 26.22 people per sq. km of land area | +0.9% |
| 1987 | 26.45 people per sq. km of land area | +0.9% |
| 1988 | 26.7 people per sq. km of land area | +0.9% |
| 1989 | 26.95 people per sq. km of land area | +0.9% |
| 1990 | 27.25 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 1991 | 27.62 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 1992 | 28.01 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 1993 | 28.38 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 1994 | 28.73 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 1995 | 29.07 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 1996 | 29.41 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 1997 | 29.77 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 1998 | 30.12 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 1999 | 30.47 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 2000 | 30.8 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 2001 | 31.1 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 2002 | 31.39 people per sq. km of land area | +0.9% |
| 2003 | 31.66 people per sq. km of land area | +0.9% |
| 2004 | 31.96 people per sq. km of land area | +0.9% |
| 2005 | 32.25 people per sq. km of land area | +0.9% |
| 2006 | 32.57 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 2007 | 32.88 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 2008 | 33.24 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 2009 | 33.54 people per sq. km of land area | +0.9% |
| 2010 | 33.82 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 2011 | 34.09 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 2012 | 34.36 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 2013 | 34.62 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 2014 | 34.9 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 2015 | 35.18 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 2016 | 35.46 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 2017 | 35.7 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 2018 | 35.91 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 2019 | 36.1 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 36.25 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 2021 | 36.31 people per sq. km of land area | +0.2% |
| 2022 | 36.51 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 2023 | 36.81 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 2024 | 37.17 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
United States compared with similar countries
- United States's 37.17 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, 25% of the median. (85 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 21.16 people per sq. km of land area | 20.06 people per sq. km of land area | 22.13 people per sq. km of land area | 9 |
| 1970s | 23.48 people per sq. km of land area | 22.39 people per sq. km of land area | 24.57 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1980s | 25.87 people per sq. km of land area | 24.81 people per sq. km of land area | 26.95 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1990s | 28.88 people per sq. km of land area | 27.25 people per sq. km of land area | 30.47 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2000s | 32.14 people per sq. km of land area | 30.8 people per sq. km of land area | 33.54 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2010s | 35.02 people per sq. km of land area | 33.82 people per sq. km of land area | 36.1 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2020s | 36.61 people per sq. km of land area | 36.25 people per sq. km of land area | 37.17 people per sq. km of land area | 5 |
Countries ranked near United States
- 163 Faroe Islands 39.88 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 164 Palau 38.47 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 165 Kyrgyzstan 37.65 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 167 Laos 33.66 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 168 Venezuela 32.2 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 169 Estonia 32.12 people per sq. km of land area compare
More urban development data for United States
- Population in the largest city 7.0% (2025)
- PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure 6.97 micrograms per cubic meter (2023)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per capita 0.4704 units per person (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 160.79 million (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, annual 0.9145 % 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 17.26 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Population in largest city 19.15 million (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 23 - Ecological 10,913 Hectares (2020)
- PM2.5 air pollution, population exposed to levels exceeding WHO 3.3% (2017)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population density in United States?
- Population density in United States was 37.17 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 United States?
- The highest recorded value was 37.17 people per sq. km of land area in 2024.
- What is the lowest population density recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 20.06 people per sq. km of land area in 1961.
- How does United States rank for population density?
- United States ranks 166th out of 216 countries with data for 2024.
- Is population density rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United States 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.