The map of top ten most densely populated countries

This is a list of countries and dependencies ranked by population density, sorted by inhabitants per square kilometre or square mile. The list includes sovereign states and self-governing dependent territories based upon the ISO standard ISO 3166-1. The list also includes unrecognized but de facto independent countries. The figures in the table are based on areas including internal bodies of water such as bays, lakes, reservoirs and rivers. The list does not include entities not on ISO 3166-1, except for states with limited recognition. Thus that are not included on ISO 3166-1, and other entities not on ISO 3166-1 like the European Union, are not included.

Unless otherwise noted, areas and populations are sourced from the United Nations World Population Prospects, which uses the latest censuses and official figures, as well as figures from the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Data are current as of 2023.

Countries and dependencies by population density[edit]

• Note: links for each location go to the relevant demography page, when available.

See also[edit]

• List of countries and dependencies by area
• List of countries and dependencies by population
• List of sovereign states
• List of cities proper by population density
• List of world cities by population density
• Urban density

Notes[edit]

• See the Data Portal at the World Population Prospects site. The area figures are listed in the Demographic Yearbook 2022.
• The De Agostini Atlas Calendar (in Italian) listed the area of Vatican City as 0.44 km2 (0.17 sq mi) in its 1930 edition but corrected it to 0.49 km2 (0.19 sq mi) in its 1945–46 edition. The figure of 0.44 km2 (0.17 sq mi) is still widely cited by many sources despite its inaccuracy. In 2018, there were 618 citizens regardless of residence, including 246 resident citizens. In 2023, there were 764 residents regardless of citizenship. The population density is calculated using the number of residents regardless of citizenship and the revised area of 0.49 km2 (0.19 sq mi).
• While the Palestinian Authority is the recognized government for both the Gaza Strip and West Bank, the Gaza Strip has been de-facto independent since 2007. The West Bank has a population density of 564 per km2, and the Gaza Strip 5,935 per km2.
• Data are from official figures.
• Data are from the TRNC State Planning Organization.
• Population and area figures are from 2021 and 2020, respectively.
• Includes Svalbard and Jan Mayen. Mainland Norway has a density of 17/km2. Pitcairn's tourist site gives an undated figure of exactly 40 as of 2023, while its official government site states the number is "around fifty".

What are the most densely populated countries in the world? Perhaps surprisingly, the most populous countries in the world, China and India, are far from the most densely populated.

The fact is, China and India are simply too large to have the highest population density. In the same way that a stadium holds far more people in total but a bus is easier to fill to capacity, several tiny countries and territories fit far more people into each square kilometer than even the most populous large countries.

For example, the most densely populated country in the world in 2020 was the diminutive European city-state of Monaco. Located near the French Riviera on the northern edge of the Mediterranean Sea, Monaco has a population of fewer than 40,000 people compared to China's 1.4 billion—but squeezes them into a mere two km² of land area (compared to China's 9.7 million km²).

Top 10 most densely populated countries in the world:

Country

Density (/km²) 🔽

Macau21,403Monaco18,149Singapore8,377Hong Kong7,135Gibraltar4,807Bahrain1,892Maldives1,737Malta1,672Bangladesh1,329Sint Maarten1,301

It is notable that all of these locations are tiny. The whole top five together have a total area of less than 2,000 km². Moreover, most are also highly urbanized centers of wealth and finance, with a tendency toward cities and skyscrapers rather than rolling fields or vast wilderness areas.

Top 10 least densely populated countries in the world:

On the other end of the spectrum, some of the largest countries in the world by land area have quite low population densities. For example, Russia has a population density of just 9/km², while Canada is even lower at 4/km². The United States of America has a population density of 36/km², which is quite low considering the U.S. is also the country with the third-highest population in the world. For comparison, the two countries with the highest populations—China and India—have population densities of 146/km² and 412/km², respectively.

What country has the most densely populated countries?

Macau SAR, China, Monaco, Singapore, Hong Kong, Gibraltar, Bahrain, Maldives, Malta, Bermuda, and Bangladesh are the largest countries in the world by population density in 2021. With a population density of 21,054 per square kilometer, Macao in China was the most densely populated country in the world in 2021.

What are the 10 countries with the largest population?

Top 10 Most Populated Countries in the World in 2021 (Million).

China. 1,415.9..

India. 1,342.3..

United States. 330.9..

Indonesia. 272.2..

Pakistan. 225.1..

Brazil. 213.3..

Nigeria. 211.4..

Bangladesh. 166.3..

Which is the most densely populated country in the world in 2023?

The European city-state of Monaco is the most densely populated country with a population density of 24,361 people per sq. km (63,094/sq mile), and its population only numbers in thousands. The Chinese territory of Macau has the world's 2nd highest population density at 22,005/km².

What is the most empty country in the world?

What Is the Emptiest Country in the World? Greenland. 2.2 million square km houses around 57,000 inhabitants. That's a population density of a mere 0.14.