Urban population, per square kilometre in United States
United States: Urban population, per square kilometre was 29.48 units per square kilometre in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
29.48 units per square kilometre
Change on year
up 0.9%
World rank
149th
of 216 countries
All-time high
29.48 units per square kilometre
in 2023
All-time low
14.13 units per square kilometre
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Urban population, per square kilometre in United States, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in units per square kilometre.
Analysis
United States recorded 29.48 units per square kilometre for urban population, per square kilometre in 2023. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
The figure is up 0.9% on the previous year and up 5.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, urban population, per square kilometre in United States peaked at 29.48 units per square kilometre in 2023 and was at its lowest, 14.13 units per square kilometre, in 1961.
United States ranks 149th of 216 countries on this measure, 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 United States, year by year
| Year | units per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 14.13 units per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 14.44 units per square kilometre | +2.2% |
| 1963 | 14.75 units per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 1964 | 15.05 units per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 1965 | 15.33 units per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 1966 | 15.59 units per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 1967 | 15.84 units per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 1968 | 16.05 units per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 1969 | 16.25 units per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 1970 | 16.45 units per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 1971 | 16.67 units per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 1972 | 16.86 units per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 1973 | 17.03 units per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 1974 | 17.19 units per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 1975 | 17.36 units per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 1976 | 17.53 units per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 1977 | 17.71 units per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 1978 | 17.91 units per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 1979 | 18.11 units per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 1980 | 18.3 units per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 1981 | 18.49 units per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 1982 | 18.69 units per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 1983 | 18.89 units per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 1984 | 19.09 units per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 1985 | 19.3 units per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 1986 | 19.52 units per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 1987 | 19.75 units per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 1988 | 19.98 units per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 1989 | 20.23 units per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 1990 | 20.51 units per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 1991 | 20.87 units per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 1992 | 21.26 units per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 1993 | 21.65 units per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 1994 | 22.05 units per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 1995 | 22.44 units per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 1996 | 22.84 units per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 1997 | 23.25 units per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 1998 | 23.64 units per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 1999 | 24.01 units per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 2000 | 24.35 units per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 2001 | 24.67 units per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 2002 | 24.97 units per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 2003 | 25.26 units per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 2004 | 25.57 units per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 2005 | 25.87 units per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 2006 | 26.17 units per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 2007 | 26.47 units per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 2008 | 26.8 units per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 2009 | 27.06 units per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 2010 | 27.29 units per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 2011 | 27.51 units per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 2012 | 27.73 units per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 2013 | 27.93 units per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 2014 | 28.14 units per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 2015 | 28.35 units per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 2016 | 28.54 units per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 2017 | 28.71 units per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 2018 | 28.83 units per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 2019 | 28.93 units per square kilometre | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 29 units per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 29.05 units per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 2022 | 29.22 units per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 2023 | 29.48 units per square kilometre | +0.9% |
United States compared with similar countries
- United States's 29.48 units per square kilometre is below the median for high income countries, which is 78.87 units per square kilometre, 37% of the median. (85 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 15.27 units per square kilometre | 14.13 units per square kilometre | 16.25 units per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 17.28 units per square kilometre | 16.45 units per square kilometre | 18.11 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 19.22 units per square kilometre | 18.3 units per square kilometre | 20.23 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 22.25 units per square kilometre | 20.51 units per square kilometre | 24.01 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 25.72 units per square kilometre | 24.35 units per square kilometre | 27.06 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 28.2 units per square kilometre | 27.29 units per square kilometre | 28.93 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 29.19 units per square kilometre | 29 units per square kilometre | 29.48 units per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near United States
- 146 Montenegro 30.35 units per square kilometre compare
- 147 Kenya 30.14 units per square kilometre compare
- 148 Fiji 29.64 units per square kilometre compare
- 150 Venezuela 28.64 units per square kilometre compare
- 151 Yemen 27.28 units per square kilometre compare
- 152 Tanzania 26.68 units per square kilometre compare
More climate change data for United States
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 274,482 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 60,922 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 213,560 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 229.89 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 7,627 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 107,381 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 89,068 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 18,313 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 336.11 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 654.05 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is urban population, per square kilometre in United States?
- Urban population, per square kilometre in United States was 29.48 units per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest urban population, per square kilometre recorded in United States?
- The highest recorded value was 29.48 units per square kilometre in 2023.
- What is the lowest urban population, per square kilometre recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 14.13 units per square kilometre in 1961.
- How does United States rank for urban population, per square kilometre?
- United States ranks 149th out of 216 countries with data for 2023.
- Is urban population, per square kilometre rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United States 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.