Urban population, per square kilometre in World
World: Urban population, per square kilometre was 35.61 units per square kilometre in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
35.61 units per square kilometre
Change on year
up 1.4%
Rank
19th
of 47 groups
All-time high
35.61 units per square kilometre
in 2023
All-time low
10.14 units per square kilometre
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Urban population, per square kilometre in World, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in units per square kilometre.
Analysis
The most recent figure for urban population, per square kilometre in World is 35.61 units per square kilometre, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.4% on the previous year and up 19.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, urban population, per square kilometre in World peaked at 35.61 units per square kilometre in 2023 and was at its lowest, 10.14 units per square kilometre, in 1961.
World ranks 19th of 47 groups 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 World, year by year
| Year | units per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 10.14 units per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 10.29 units per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 1963 | 10.56 units per square kilometre | +2.6% |
| 1964 | 10.96 units per square kilometre | +3.9% |
| 1965 | 11.26 units per square kilometre | +2.7% |
| 1966 | 11.57 units per square kilometre | +2.8% |
| 1967 | 11.89 units per square kilometre | +2.7% |
| 1968 | 12.21 units per square kilometre | +2.7% |
| 1969 | 12.54 units per square kilometre | +2.7% |
| 1970 | 12.87 units per square kilometre | +2.6% |
| 1971 | 13.22 units per square kilometre | +2.7% |
| 1972 | 13.57 units per square kilometre | +2.7% |
| 1973 | 13.95 units per square kilometre | +2.8% |
| 1974 | 14.31 units per square kilometre | +2.6% |
| 1975 | 14.69 units per square kilometre | +2.7% |
| 1976 | 15.08 units per square kilometre | +2.6% |
| 1977 | 15.47 units per square kilometre | +2.6% |
| 1978 | 15.88 units per square kilometre | +2.7% |
| 1979 | 16.37 units per square kilometre | +3.1% |
| 1980 | 16.81 units per square kilometre | +2.7% |
| 1981 | 17.28 units per square kilometre | +2.8% |
| 1982 | 17.72 units per square kilometre | +2.6% |
| 1983 | 18.23 units per square kilometre | +2.9% |
| 1984 | 18.78 units per square kilometre | +3.0% |
| 1985 | 19.26 units per square kilometre | +2.6% |
| 1986 | 19.78 units per square kilometre | +2.7% |
| 1987 | 20.31 units per square kilometre | +2.7% |
| 1988 | 20.82 units per square kilometre | +2.5% |
| 1989 | 21.32 units per square kilometre | +2.4% |
| 1990 | 21.78 units per square kilometre | +2.2% |
| 1991 | 22.32 units per square kilometre | +2.5% |
| 1992 | 18.91 units per square kilometre | -15.3% |
| 1993 | 19.15 units per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 1994 | 19.57 units per square kilometre | +2.2% |
| 1995 | 20.01 units per square kilometre | +2.2% |
| 1996 | 20.53 units per square kilometre | +2.6% |
| 1997 | 21.05 units per square kilometre | +2.5% |
| 1998 | 21.6 units per square kilometre | +2.6% |
| 1999 | 22.14 units per square kilometre | +2.5% |
| 2000 | 22.69 units per square kilometre | +2.5% |
| 2001 | 23.22 units per square kilometre | +2.4% |
| 2002 | 23.79 units per square kilometre | +2.4% |
| 2003 | 24.37 units per square kilometre | +2.4% |
| 2004 | 24.91 units per square kilometre | +2.2% |
| 2005 | 25.49 units per square kilometre | +2.3% |
| 2006 | 26.06 units per square kilometre | +2.3% |
| 2007 | 26.68 units per square kilometre | +2.4% |
| 2008 | 27.27 units per square kilometre | +2.2% |
| 2009 | 27.88 units per square kilometre | +2.2% |
| 2010 | 28.44 units per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 2011 | 29.17 units per square kilometre | +2.6% |
| 2012 | 29.23 units per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 29.88 units per square kilometre | +2.2% |
| 2014 | 30.51 units per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 2015 | 31.17 units per square kilometre | +2.2% |
| 2016 | 31.8 units per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 2017 | 32.41 units per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 2018 | 33.02 units per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 2019 | 33.6 units per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 2020 | 34.11 units per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 2021 | 34.66 units per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 2022 | 35.14 units per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 2023 | 35.61 units per square kilometre | +1.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 11.27 units per square kilometre | 10.14 units per square kilometre | 12.54 units per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 14.54 units per square kilometre | 12.87 units per square kilometre | 16.37 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 19.03 units per square kilometre | 16.81 units per square kilometre | 21.32 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 20.71 units per square kilometre | 18.91 units per square kilometre | 22.32 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 25.24 units per square kilometre | 22.69 units per square kilometre | 27.88 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 30.92 units per square kilometre | 28.44 units per square kilometre | 33.6 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 34.88 units per square kilometre | 34.11 units per square kilometre | 35.61 units per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near World
- 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
- 22 Puerto Rico 340.16 units per square kilometre compare
More climate change data for World
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 135.91 billion kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 4.94 million kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 1.27 million kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 3.67 million kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 4,791 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 130,918 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 1.64 million kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 957,726 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 685,096 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 3,614 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is urban population, per square kilometre in World?
- Urban population, per square kilometre in World was 35.61 units per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest urban population, per square kilometre recorded in World?
- The highest recorded value was 35.61 units per square kilometre in 2023.
- What is the lowest urban population, per square kilometre recorded in World?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.14 units per square kilometre in 1961.
- How does World rank for urban population, per square kilometre?
- World ranks 19th out of 47 groups with data for 2023.
- Is urban population, per square kilometre rising or falling in World?
- Over the last ten years it is up 19.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this World 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.