Population density in United States of America
United States of America: Population density was 36.81 people per sq. km of land area in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
36.81 people per sq. km of land area
Change on year
up 0.8%
World rank
166th
of 216 countries
All-time high
36.81 people per sq. km of land area
in 2023
All-time low
20.06 people per sq. km of land area
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Population density in United States of America, 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
United States of America recorded 36.81 people per sq. km of land area for population density in 2023. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.8% on the previous year and up 6.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population density in United States of America peaked at 36.81 people per sq. km of land area in 2023 and was at its lowest, 20.06 people per sq. km of land area, in 1961.
United States of America ranks 166th of 216 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Population density in United States of America, 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% |
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 | 36.47 people per sq. km of land area | 36.25 people per sq. km of land area | 36.81 people per sq. km of land area | 4 |
Countries ranked near United States of America
- 163 Faroe Islands 39.71 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 164 Palau 38.54 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 165 Kyrgyzstan 37.02 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 167 Lao People's Democratic Republic 33.21 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 168 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of 32.09 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 169 Estonia 32.07 people per sq. km of land area compare
More urban development data for United States of America
- 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 of America?
- Population density in United States of America was 36.81 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 United States of America?
- The highest recorded value was 36.81 people per sq. km of land area in 2023.
- What is the lowest population density recorded in United States of America?
- The lowest recorded value was 20.06 people per sq. km of land area in 1961.
- How does United States of America rank for population density?
- United States of America ranks 166th out of 216 countries with data for 2023.
- Is population density rising or falling in United States of America?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United States of America 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.