Urban population, per square kilometre in Latin America & Caribbean
Latin America & Caribbean: Urban population, per square kilometre was 26.57 units per square kilometre in 2023. ▲ Rising
Urban population, per square kilometre in Latin America & Caribbean, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in units per square kilometre.
Analysis
In 2023, urban population, per square kilometre in Latin America & Caribbean stood at 26.57 units per square kilometre. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
The figure is up 1.0% on the previous year and up 11.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, urban population, per square kilometre in Latin America & Caribbean peaked at 26.57 units per square kilometre in 2023 and was at its lowest, 5.55 units per square kilometre, in 1961.
That places Latin America & Caribbean 28th out of 47 groups with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Urban population, per square kilometre in Latin America & Caribbean, year by year
| Year | units per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 5.55 units per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 5.79 units per square kilometre | +4.3% |
| 1963 | 6.04 units per square kilometre | +4.3% |
| 1964 | 6.29 units per square kilometre | +4.3% |
| 1965 | 6.56 units per square kilometre | +4.2% |
| 1966 | 6.84 units per square kilometre | +4.2% |
| 1967 | 7.12 units per square kilometre | +4.2% |
| 1968 | 7.41 units per square kilometre | +4.1% |
| 1969 | 7.71 units per square kilometre | +4.0% |
| 1970 | 8.02 units per square kilometre | +4.0% |
| 1971 | 8.34 units per square kilometre | +4.0% |
| 1972 | 8.67 units per square kilometre | +4.0% |
| 1973 | 9.02 units per square kilometre | +4.0% |
| 1974 | 9.38 units per square kilometre | +4.0% |
| 1975 | 9.75 units per square kilometre | +4.0% |
| 1976 | 10.13 units per square kilometre | +3.9% |
| 1977 | 10.52 units per square kilometre | +3.8% |
| 1978 | 10.9 units per square kilometre | +3.7% |
| 1979 | 11.29 units per square kilometre | +3.6% |
| 1980 | 11.67 units per square kilometre | +3.4% |
| 1981 | 12.05 units per square kilometre | +3.2% |
| 1982 | 12.43 units per square kilometre | +3.1% |
| 1983 | 12.81 units per square kilometre | +3.1% |
| 1984 | 13.2 units per square kilometre | +3.0% |
| 1985 | 13.58 units per square kilometre | +2.9% |
| 1986 | 13.97 units per square kilometre | +2.9% |
| 1987 | 14.36 units per square kilometre | +2.8% |
| 1988 | 14.75 units per square kilometre | +2.7% |
| 1989 | 15.14 units per square kilometre | +2.7% |
| 1990 | 15.54 units per square kilometre | +2.6% |
| 1991 | 15.94 units per square kilometre | +2.5% |
| 1992 | 16.33 units per square kilometre | +2.5% |
| 1993 | 16.72 units per square kilometre | +2.4% |
| 1994 | 17.11 units per square kilometre | +2.3% |
| 1995 | 17.51 units per square kilometre | +2.3% |
| 1996 | 17.91 units per square kilometre | +2.3% |
| 1997 | 18.33 units per square kilometre | +2.3% |
| 1998 | 18.78 units per square kilometre | +2.5% |
| 1999 | 19.21 units per square kilometre | +2.3% |
| 2000 | 19.61 units per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 2001 | 19.99 units per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 2002 | 20.37 units per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 2003 | 20.72 units per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 2004 | 21.07 units per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 2005 | 21.4 units per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 2006 | 21.72 units per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 2007 | 22.04 units per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 2008 | 22.36 units per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 2009 | 22.67 units per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 2010 | 22.98 units per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 2011 | 23.28 units per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 2012 | 23.59 units per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 2013 | 23.9 units per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 2014 | 24.21 units per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 2015 | 24.52 units per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 2016 | 24.82 units per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 2017 | 25.11 units per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 2018 | 25.38 units per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 2019 | 25.66 units per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 2020 | 25.89 units per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 2021 | 26.1 units per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 2022 | 26.32 units per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 2023 | 26.57 units per square kilometre | +1.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 6.59 units per square kilometre | 5.55 units per square kilometre | 7.71 units per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 9.6 units per square kilometre | 8.02 units per square kilometre | 11.29 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 13.4 units per square kilometre | 11.67 units per square kilometre | 15.14 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 17.34 units per square kilometre | 15.54 units per square kilometre | 19.21 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 21.19 units per square kilometre | 19.61 units per square kilometre | 22.67 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 24.35 units per square kilometre | 22.98 units per square kilometre | 25.66 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 26.22 units per square kilometre | 25.89 units per square kilometre | 26.57 units per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near Latin America & Caribbean
- 25 Japan 314.5 units per square kilometre compare
- 26 Cayman Islands 304.32 units per square kilometre compare
- 27 Guam 290.26 units per square kilometre compare
- 28 United States Virgin Islands 285.6 units per square kilometre compare
- 29 Channel Islands 276.34 units per square kilometre compare
- 30 Kuwait 272.36 units per square kilometre compare
- 31 Luxembourg 245.41 units per square kilometre compare
More climate change data for Latin America & Caribbean
- Urban population growth 1.0% (2025)
- Population, total, annual growth rate 0.6655 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population, total, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Urban population, annual growth rate 0.9558 % change on previous year (2025)
- Urban population, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Urban population, per capita 0.8151 units per person (2025)
- Urban population 81.5% (2025)
- Urban population 543.31 million (2025)
- Population, total 666.59 million (2025)
- Population growth 0.7% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is urban population, per square kilometre in Latin America & Caribbean?
- Urban population, per square kilometre in Latin America & Caribbean was 26.57 units per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest urban population, per square kilometre recorded in Latin America & Caribbean?
- The highest recorded value was 26.57 units per square kilometre in 2023.
- What is the lowest urban population, per square kilometre recorded in Latin America & Caribbean?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.55 units per square kilometre in 1961.
- How does Latin America & Caribbean rank for urban population, per square kilometre?
- Latin America & Caribbean ranks 28th out of 47 groups with data for 2023.
- Is urban population, per square kilometre rising or falling in Latin America & Caribbean?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Latin America & Caribbean data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Urban population, per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Urban population divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Urban population ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Urban population World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN)
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Urban population divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.