Population density (people per sq. km of land area) in World
World: Population density (people per sq. km of land area) was 62.14 people per sq. km of land area in 2023. ▬ Flat
Population density in World, 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
The most recent figure for population density in World is 62.14 people per sq. km of land area, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.9% on the previous year and up 3.8% over five years.
Over the whole period, population density in World peaked at 62.14 people per sq. km of land area in 2023 and was at its lowest, 59.85 people per sq. km of land area, in 2019.
That places World 21st out of 47 groups with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
Population density (people per sq. km of land area) in World, year by year
| Year | people per sq. km of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 29.39 people per sq. km of land area | — |
| 1962 | 29.91 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 1963 | 30.55 people per sq. km of land area | +2.1% |
| 1964 | 31.2 people per sq. km of land area | +2.1% |
| 1965 | 31.85 people per sq. km of land area | +2.1% |
| 1966 | 32.52 people per sq. km of land area | +2.1% |
| 1967 | 33.19 people per sq. km of land area | +2.1% |
| 1968 | 33.88 people per sq. km of land area | +2.1% |
| 1969 | 34.59 people per sq. km of land area | +2.1% |
| 1970 | 35.32 people per sq. km of land area | +2.1% |
| 1971 | 36.06 people per sq. km of land area | +2.1% |
| 1972 | 36.79 people per sq. km of land area | +2.0% |
| 1973 | 37.53 people per sq. km of land area | +2.0% |
| 1974 | 38.26 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 1975 | 38.98 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 1976 | 39.68 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 1977 | 40.39 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 1978 | 41.1 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 1979 | 41.84 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 1980 | 42.58 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 1981 | 43.34 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 1982 | 44.13 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 1983 | 44.93 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 1984 | 45.73 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 1985 | 46.54 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 1986 | 47.38 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 1987 | 48.24 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 1988 | 49.1 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 1989 | 49.97 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 1990 | 50.85 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 1991 | 51.7 people per sq. km of land area | +1.7% |
| 1992 | 43.52 people per sq. km of land area | -15.8% |
| 1993 | 43.79 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 1994 | 44.47 people per sq. km of land area | +1.6% |
| 1995 | 45.15 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 1996 | 45.83 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 1997 | 46.48 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 1998 | 47.16 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 1999 | 47.82 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 2000 | 48.44 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 2001 | 49.1 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 2002 | 49.74 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 2003 | 50.39 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 2004 | 50.98 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 2005 | 51.63 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 2006 | 52.25 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 2007 | 52.92 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 2008 | 53.6 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 2009 | 54.27 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 2010 | 54.94 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 2011 | 55.61 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 2012 | 55.23 people per sq. km of land area | -0.7% |
| 2013 | 55.92 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 2014 | 56.6 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 2015 | 57.27 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 2016 | 57.93 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 2017 | 58.59 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 2018 | 59.23 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 2019 | 59.85 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 2020 | 60.43 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 2021 | 61.01 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 2022 | 61.56 people per sq. km of land area | +0.9% |
| 2023 | 62.14 people per sq. km of land area | +0.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 31.9 people per sq. km of land area | 29.39 people per sq. km of land area | 34.59 people per sq. km of land area | 9 |
| 1970s | 38.59 people per sq. km of land area | 35.32 people per sq. km of land area | 41.84 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1980s | 46.19 people per sq. km of land area | 42.58 people per sq. km of land area | 49.97 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1990s | 46.68 people per sq. km of land area | 43.52 people per sq. km of land area | 51.7 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2000s | 51.33 people per sq. km of land area | 48.44 people per sq. km of land area | 54.27 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2010s | 57.12 people per sq. km of land area | 54.94 people per sq. km of land area | 59.85 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2020s | 61.29 people per sq. km of land area | 60.43 people per sq. km of land area | 62.14 people per sq. km of land area | 4 |
Countries ranked near World
- 18 Rwanda 565.64 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 19 Lebanon 564.37 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 20 San Marino 564.33 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 21 Saint Martin (French part) 550.3 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 22 Burundi 533.08 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 23 Netherlands 530.95 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 24 South Korea 529.84 people per sq. km of land area compare
More urban development data for World
- Population in the largest city 16.2% (2025)
- PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure 32.87 micrograms per cubic meter (2023)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 23 - Ecological 60,317 Hectares (2020)
- PM2.5 air pollution, population exposed to levels exceeding WHO 91.4% (2017)
- Dollar value of all resources made available to strengthen 1.15 billion (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population density in World?
- Population density in World was 62.14 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 World?
- The highest recorded value was 62.14 people per sq. km of land area in 2023.
- What is the lowest population density recorded in World?
- The lowest recorded value was 59.85 people per sq. km of land area in 2019.
- How does World rank for population density?
- World ranks 21st out of 47 groups with data for 2023.
- Where does this World 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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CSV · JSON — 63 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.