How does population density differ across the selected countries? The comparison uses the source's population-density observations for 2023, measured relative to land area. The observation period is distinct from the date this article is prepared.
Key takeaways
- El Salvador ranked 1 with 304.518532818533 people per sq. km of land area in 2023.
- Dominican Republic ranked 2 with 235.098143035751 people per sq. km of land area in 2023.
- Guatemala ranked 3 with 169.138092571855 people per sq. km of land area in 2023.
How does population density differ across the selected countries?
Density combines a population estimate with land area, so a large population need not imply a high density. The denominator is land area, not total territory including inland water. Use the unit in the table when comparing other publications.
How to interpret the differences
A national average does not show how residents are distributed within a country. Mountain, desert and forest regions can coexist with dense urban centers. This ranking therefore does not measure neighborhood crowding, housing affordability or urban living conditions.
A country average, not a regional total
Mean: 74.9 people per sq. km of land area in 2023.
This is an unweighted mean across the reported countries. Each country contributes equally; the result is not a GDP-weighted or population-weighted regional aggregate.
What to investigate next
Compare population totals and urban-population shares to understand how a similar national average can describe different settlement patterns. Use local geographic data for city or neighborhood decisions rather than transferring a national density to every place.
| Rank | Country | Population density (people per sq. km of land area) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | El Salvador | 304.518532818533 |
| 2 | Dominican Republic | 235.098143035751 |
| 3 | Guatemala | 169.138092571855 |
| 4 | Cuba | 106.165038535645 |
| 5 | Costa Rica | 100.979529272152 |
| 6 | Honduras | 95.1367503798373 |
| 7 | Ecuador | 72.3952448059269 |
| 8 | Mexico | 66.7402757272564 |
| 9 | Panama | 60.1072930709086 |
| 10 | Nicaragua | 56.702783779292 |
| 11 | Colombia | 47.1574150518251 |
| 12 | United States | 36.8142112202129 |
| 13 | Chile | 26.4647249005172 |
| 14 | Peru | 26.44188828125 |
| 15 | Brazil | 25.2616884857157 |
| 16 | Uruguay | 19.3582504856588 |
| 17 | Paraguay | 17.282671943072 |
| 18 | Argentina | 16.6399559321662 |
| 19 | Bolivia | 11.2542465064539 |
| 20 | Canada | 4.5568841808231 |
Source: World Bank WDI (EN.POP.DNST)
Methodology: World Bank indicator EN.POP.DNST for 20 reported countries from the configured 20-country comparison in 2023; exact source-reported values ranked descending without imputation or unit conversion. Missing observations remain excluded.
Methodology
World Bank indicator EN.POP.DNST for 20 reported countries from the configured 20-country comparison in 2023; exact source-reported values ranked descending without imputation or unit conversion. Missing observations remain excluded.
Caveats
Coverage is limited to the configured selected-country universe and the stated reference year. Missing observations are not imputed.
Data attribution and reproducibility
FAO and World Bank population estimates, via World Bank WDI; retain the indicator's land-area methodology. Indicator definitions and original provider credits. Data distributed under CC BY 4.0. WorldDataRank calculated the ordering and country mean and created the visual. Data retrieved 2026-10-30T10:38:29Z. The upstream release date is not supplied in this snapshot; it is not inferred from the observation year. This publication is independent and is not endorsed by the data providers.