Population Density - Ranking 1991
In 1991, Greenland (0.2), Mongolia (1.4), and Namibia (1.7) ranked highest in population density among all countries. Macao SAR, China ranked lowest at 17,582.5.
Data & analysis
- Macao SAR, China — 20,598.72
- Monaco — 18,564.12
- Singapore — 8,108.23
- Hong Kong SAR, China — 7,071.85
- Gibraltar — 3,987.70
The 2025 World Bank population density ranking reveals a stark global divergence, with the top positions dominated by compact city-states and special administrative regions. Macao SAR, China leads at 20,598.7 people per km², followed closely by Monaco at 18,564.1, both reflecting extreme urban concentration on minimal land. These territories share a common structural condition: limited habitable area combined with high economic activity or tourism, forcing density upward. At the bottom, Greenland’s 0.14 people per km² illustrates the opposite extreme, where vast, inhospitable terrain and a small population create the world’s lowest density. Australia, at 3.52 per km², similarly suffers from arid interior regions that discourage settlement. The 2025 data underscores how geography and economic specialization bind the top tier. Future reshuffling of the leaderboard could occur if rapid urbanization in smaller nations, such as Singapore or Bahrain, intensifies, or if climate change renders currently dense coastal zones less viable.
| Rank | Country | Value | YoY % |
|---|---|---|---|