Population density

For humans, population density is the number of people per unit of area, usually quoted per square kilometre or square mile, and which may include or exclude for example areas of water or glaciers. Commonly this may be calculated for a county, city, country, another territory or the entire world.

The world's population is around 7,500,000,000[3] and Earth's total area (including land and water) is 510,000,000 km² (197,000,000 sq. mi.).[4] Therefore, the worldwide human population density is around 7,500,000,000 ÷ 510,000,000 = 14.7 per km² (38 per sq. mi.). If only the Earth's land area of 150,000,000 km² (58,000,000 sq. mi.) is taken into account, then human population density is 50 per km² (129 per sq. mi.). This includes all continental and island land area, including Antarctica. If Antarctica is also excluded, then population density rises to over 55 people per km² (over 142 per sq. mi.).[1] However, over half of the Earth's land mass consists of areas inhospitable to human habitation, such as deserts and high mountains, and population tends to cluster around seaports and fresh-water sources. Thus, additional criteria are needed to make simple population density values useful.

Several of the most densely populated territories in the world are city-states, microstates and urban dependencies.[5][6] These territories have a relatively small area and a high urbanization level, with an economically specialized city population drawing also on rural resources outside the area, illustrating the difference between high population density and overpopulation.

Deserts have very limited potential for growing crops as there is not enough rain to support them. Thus their population density is generally low. However some cities in the Middle East, such as Dubai, have been increasing in population and infrastructure growth at a fast pace.[7]

Cities with high population densities are, by some, considered to be overpopulated, though this will depend on factors like quality of housing and infrastructure and access to resources.[8] Very densely populated cities are mostly in Asia (particularly Southeast Asia); Africa's Lagos, Kinshasa and Cairo; South America's Bogotá, Lima and São Paulo; and Mexico City and Saint Petersburg also fall into this category.[9]

City population and especially area are, however, heavily dependent on the definition of "urban area" used: densities are almost invariably higher for the centre only than when suburban settlements and intervening rural areas are included, as in the agglomeration or metropolitan area (the latter sometimes including neighboring cities).

In comparison, based on a world population of 7 billion, the world's inhabitants, as a loose crowd taking up almost 1 m² (10 sq. ft) per person (cf. Jacobs Method), would occupy a space a little larger than Delaware's land area.

Although arithmetic density is the most common way of measuring population density, several other methods have been developed to provide a more accurate measure of population density over a specific area.

• Arithmetic density: The total number of people / area of land
• Physiological density: The total population / area of arable land
• Agricultural density: The total rural population / area of arable land
• Residential density: The number of people living in an urban area / area of residential land
• Urban density: The number of people inhabiting an urban area / total area of urban land
• Ecological optimum: The density of population that can be supported by the natural resources

• List of Australian suburbs by population density
• List of countries by population density
• List of cities by population density
• List of city districts by population density
• List of English districts by population density
• List of European cities proper by population density
• List of islands by population density
• List of U.S. states by population density
• List of United States cities by population density