What are the most densely populated countries in the world?
The most populous countries in the world are not the most densely populated.
Here is a ranking of the top 10 most densely populated countries in the world:
- Macau (Population density: 21,055/km²)
- Monaco (Population density: 19,150/km²)
- Singapore (Population density: 8,109/km²)
- Hong Kong (Population density: 6,677/km²)
- Gibraltar (Population density: 5,620/km²)
- Bahrain (Population density: 2,052/km²)
- Vatican City (Population density: 1,820/km²)
- Maldives (Population density: 1,719/km²)
- Malta (Population density: 1,390/km²)
- Sint Maarten (Population density: 1,234/km²)
As the country with the world's highest population, it is not surprising that the Chinese territory of Macau also has the world's highest population density at 21,081/km². This is followed by the small European city-state of Monaco at 19,256/km², the south-east Asian city-state of Singapore, and the Chinese territory of Hong Kong. It is notable that all three of these locations are regarded as centers of wealth and finance, attracting a population of many high net worth individuals.
Some of the largest countries in the world by landmass have quite low population densities. For example, Russia has a population density of just 8/km², while Canada is even lower at 4/km². The United States of America has a relatively low population density of 35/km², given that it is the country with the third-highest population in the world. In comparison, the two countries with the highest populations – China and India – have population densities of 146/km² and 412/km², respectively.