Urban population, per square kilometre in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD): Urban population, per square kilometre was 37.58 units per square kilometre in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Urban population, per square kilometre in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD), 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in units per square kilometre.
Analysis
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) recorded 37.58 units per square kilometre for urban population, per square kilometre in 2023. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.2% on the previous year and up 24.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, urban population, per square kilometre in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) peaked at 37.58 units per square kilometre in 2023 and was at its lowest, 4.54 units per square kilometre, in 1961.
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) ranks 18th of 47 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Urban population, per square kilometre in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD), year by year
| Year | units per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 4.54 units per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 4.76 units per square kilometre | +4.8% |
| 1963 | 4.98 units per square kilometre | +4.7% |
| 1964 | 5.21 units per square kilometre | +4.6% |
| 1965 | 5.44 units per square kilometre | +4.4% |
| 1966 | 5.67 units per square kilometre | +4.3% |
| 1967 | 5.93 units per square kilometre | +4.6% |
| 1968 | 6.2 units per square kilometre | +4.5% |
| 1969 | 6.47 units per square kilometre | +4.5% |
| 1970 | 6.76 units per square kilometre | +4.4% |
| 1971 | 7.05 units per square kilometre | +4.3% |
| 1972 | 7.36 units per square kilometre | +4.3% |
| 1973 | 7.68 units per square kilometre | +4.3% |
| 1974 | 8.01 units per square kilometre | +4.3% |
| 1975 | 8.36 units per square kilometre | +4.4% |
| 1976 | 8.72 units per square kilometre | +4.3% |
| 1977 | 9.11 units per square kilometre | +4.4% |
| 1978 | 9.5 units per square kilometre | +4.3% |
| 1979 | 9.92 units per square kilometre | +4.4% |
| 1980 | 10.36 units per square kilometre | +4.5% |
| 1981 | 10.85 units per square kilometre | +4.8% |
| 1982 | 11.36 units per square kilometre | +4.6% |
| 1983 | 11.85 units per square kilometre | +4.3% |
| 1984 | 12.37 units per square kilometre | +4.4% |
| 1985 | 12.9 units per square kilometre | +4.3% |
| 1986 | 13.43 units per square kilometre | +4.2% |
| 1987 | 13.98 units per square kilometre | +4.1% |
| 1988 | 14.52 units per square kilometre | +3.8% |
| 1989 | 15.06 units per square kilometre | +3.7% |
| 1990 | 15.61 units per square kilometre | +3.6% |
| 1991 | 16.14 units per square kilometre | +3.4% |
| 1992 | 16.7 units per square kilometre | +3.4% |
| 1993 | 17.23 units per square kilometre | +3.2% |
| 1994 | 17.75 units per square kilometre | +3.1% |
| 1995 | 18.29 units per square kilometre | +3.0% |
| 1996 | 18.81 units per square kilometre | +2.9% |
| 1997 | 19.38 units per square kilometre | +3.0% |
| 1998 | 19.94 units per square kilometre | +2.9% |
| 1999 | 20.52 units per square kilometre | +2.9% |
| 2000 | 21.1 units per square kilometre | +2.9% |
| 2001 | 21.7 units per square kilometre | +2.8% |
| 2002 | 22.27 units per square kilometre | +2.6% |
| 2003 | 22.86 units per square kilometre | +2.7% |
| 2004 | 23.5 units per square kilometre | +2.8% |
| 2005 | 24.17 units per square kilometre | +2.8% |
| 2006 | 24.84 units per square kilometre | +2.8% |
| 2007 | 25.5 units per square kilometre | +2.7% |
| 2008 | 26.18 units per square kilometre | +2.7% |
| 2009 | 26.9 units per square kilometre | +2.8% |
| 2010 | 27.63 units per square kilometre | +2.7% |
| 2011 | 28.4 units per square kilometre | +2.8% |
| 2012 | 29.25 units per square kilometre | +3.0% |
| 2013 | 30.15 units per square kilometre | +3.1% |
| 2014 | 30.93 units per square kilometre | +2.6% |
| 2015 | 31.61 units per square kilometre | +2.2% |
| 2016 | 32.27 units per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 2017 | 32.96 units per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 2018 | 33.68 units per square kilometre | +2.2% |
| 2019 | 34.44 units per square kilometre | +2.3% |
| 2020 | 35.2 units per square kilometre | +2.2% |
| 2021 | 35.96 units per square kilometre | +2.2% |
| 2022 | 36.75 units per square kilometre | +2.2% |
| 2023 | 37.58 units per square kilometre | +2.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 5.47 units per square kilometre | 4.54 units per square kilometre | 6.47 units per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 8.25 units per square kilometre | 6.76 units per square kilometre | 9.92 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 12.67 units per square kilometre | 10.36 units per square kilometre | 15.06 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 18.04 units per square kilometre | 15.61 units per square kilometre | 20.52 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 23.9 units per square kilometre | 21.1 units per square kilometre | 26.9 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 31.13 units per square kilometre | 27.63 units per square kilometre | 34.44 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 36.37 units per square kilometre | 35.2 units per square kilometre | 37.58 units per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)
- 15 Lebanon 510.49 units per square kilometre compare
- 16 Netherlands 506.12 units per square kilometre compare
- 17 Korea 430.04 units per square kilometre compare
- 18 Bangladesh 424.22 units per square kilometre compare
- 19 Israel 416.48 units per square kilometre compare
- 20 Barbados 390.17 units per square kilometre compare
- 21 Aruba 368.81 units per square kilometre compare
More climate change data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)
- Urban population growth 2.0% (2025)
- Population, total, annual growth rate 1.64 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population, total, per unit of GDP 0.0004 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Urban population, annual growth rate 2.07 % change on previous year (2025)
- Urban population, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Urban population, per capita 0.5261 units per person (2025)
- Urban population 52.6% (2025)
- Urban population 393.80 million (2025)
- Population, total 748.49 million (2025)
- Population growth 1.6% (2025)
All data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) →
Frequently asked questions
- What is urban population, per square kilometre in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)?
- Urban population, per square kilometre in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) was 37.58 units per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest urban population, per square kilometre recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)?
- The highest recorded value was 37.58 units per square kilometre in 2023.
- What is the lowest urban population, per square kilometre recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.54 units per square kilometre in 1961.
- How does Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) rank for urban population, per square kilometre?
- Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) ranks 18th out of 47 groups with data for 2023.
- Is urban population, per square kilometre rising or falling in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 24.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) 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.