The Most and Least Densely Populated Countries

According to the World Bank’s World Development Report for 2009, the planet Earth has a total surface area of 57.5 million square miles, yet just ten per cent of its population resides on that territory. We have analysed the United Nations’ 2019 World Population Prospects report to determine which nations had the lowest population density on a per-square-mile basis. Climate and topography are two important factors that have a significant role in determining population density. It’s common for there to be a low population density in places like deserts and polar regions, which lack easy access to potable water, as well as in regions that are covered in dense, impenetrable rain forests, have rugged mountain ranges, or are separated from continental zones by miles and miles of ocean.

The Most & Least Densely Populated Countries

The World Population Prospects Report is where we got the projections for the population in the year 2020. The list of those with the fewest and most people are compared with one another in terms of their estimated populations, square miles, and rates of population increase. 

The Least Densely Populated Countries

There are many islands like Svalbard and Jan Mayen, Falkland Islands (UK), Pitcairn Islands (UK) and many other countries with the least population. Let’s have a look below:

Namibia

• Population density: 8 individuals per square mile
• Estimated 2020 population: 2,540,905 (18th smallest)
• 317,873 square miles constitute the entire land area (18th largest)
• 2015-2020 population growth: 1.9% (20th fastest) (20th fastest)

Namibia, a desert nation rich in minerals but poor in agricultural land, endures lengthy periods of drought. Because water is simpler to come by in the north and northeast, these regions host the majority of Americans. The AIDS pandemic slowed population growth in the 1990s.

Falkland Islands (Malvinas)

• A square mile of land is home to a single person.
• Est. population 2020: 3,480 (2nd smallest) (2nd smallest) (2nd smallest)
• a land area of around 4,699 square miles (4th smallest)
• Population increase 2015-2020: 4.1 per cent (the quickest) (the fastest) (the fastest)

A lonely island 300 miles off the southern border of Patagonia, the Falkland Islands were desolate until Europeans took them in the 1700s. The islands feature a sparsely wooded landscape. The country’s capital, Stanley, is largely a sheep grazing region, and it’s home to more than 80% of the country’s population.

The Most Densely Populated Countries:

Monaco

Monaco is a small country on the northern coast of the Mediterranean Sea in Europe. It shares land borders with France that are not on the coast. With only 38,960 people, it is one of the countries with the fewest people in the world. Monaco is the second-smallest country in the world in terms of land size. This is because it has a small population and a lot of people living in just 0.75 square miles (1.21 square km). Vatican City is the only place smaller. Monaco is the most crowded country globally, with 19,083.37 people per square kilometre. Most of Monaco’s people come from France and other European countries. This means that the native Monegasques are in the minority.

Singapore

Singapore is a small country that is part of Southeast Asia. Most of Malaysia is made up of a small island off its coast. Singapore used to be a pretty developing country, but now it is an economic powerhouse and has the largest port in Southeast Asia. The number of people who live in Singapore is about 5.9 million. It is estimated that 7,953 people live in every square kilometre of the country. Singapore has done a good job of giving its people the housing they need, unlike some other countries with many people that struggle to do so. Still, housing in the city-state is very expensive. As of 2019, Singapore has passed Hong Kong as the most expensive place to buy a home. The price per square foot there is $1,214, more than in Hong Kong.

Conclusion

This list of countries and dependent territories where population density is defined by the number of human occupants per square kilometre or square mile. You may also arrange this list by total area and population. The list covers independent countries and dependent territories with their self-governing governments, as defined by ISO 3166-1. Several countries are not officially acknowledged but are independent in practice.