Highest population density
Monaco fits 39,000 residents into 2 km² — Manhattan-level density at country scale.
Headline finding
Monaco leads the world for highest population density at 19,341 people per km².
The full top 25: Highest population density
Click any country to read its full profile.
- 1 Monaco 19,341
- 2 Singapore 8,424
- 3 Bahrain 2,017
- 4 Maldives 1,832
- 5 Malta 1,668
- 6 Bangladesh 1,265
- 7 Vatican City 1,093
- 8 Lebanon 668
- 9 Taiwan 651
- 10 South Korea 533
- 11 Rwanda 525
- 12 India 481
- 13 Haiti 414
- 14 Netherlands 521
- 15 Burundi 488
- 16 Barbados 668
- 17 Belgium 383
- 18 Sri Lanka 346
- 19 Philippines 376
- 20 Japan 333
- 21 Pakistan 311
- 22 Vietnam 318
- 23 United Kingdom 281
- 24 Germany 240
- 25 Luxembourg 251
What the numbers show
Monaco's lead at the top of this ranking is 129.6% above the second-place country — a margin so wide it suggests we're looking at a structural advantage rather than a close-run race.
The five countries leading the table — Monaco, Singapore, Bahrain, Maldives, Malta — together set the global benchmark. The next 20 countries fill the rest of the table, with Luxembourg anchoring the list at 251.
Figures are drawn from World Bank 2023. We use this source because it produces a single, internally consistent dataset rather than aggregating from national statistics offices, which makes year-on-year comparison reliable. The next update is expected when the source publishes its next annual release — see the methodology section below for which year of data is currently shown.
Methodology and caveats
- What this measures
- people per km²
- Source
- World Bank 2023
- Coverage
- Top 25 countries shown. Full source dataset covers all 195 sovereign states where data is available.
- Refresh cadence
- Updated annually as the source publishes new figures, typically autumn or spring.
- Known caveat
- Country definitions follow the source: where the UN, the World Bank and the CIA Factbook disagree on borders or recognition, we use the figure as published rather than reconciling between bodies. Comparisons across rankings should be made with this in mind.
Frequently asked
Which country tops the ranking for population density?
Monaco leads with 19,341 people per km². Singapore is second at 8,424, with Bahrain in third place. Full top-10 with sources is above.
What's the source for the population density ranking?
The figures come from World Bank 2023. We use this source because it publishes a complete country-by-country dataset using consistent methodology — the alternative of mixing national statistics offices would compromise comparability. Updated annually with the latest available vintage of the data.
How often are the population density figures updated?
Once a year, in line with the source institution's publishing schedule. Major institutions like the World Bank, IMF and UNESCO publish annual updates in different months — typically autumn or spring — and the figures here reflect the most recently published vintage. The source footer on the ranking table shows which year's data is currently displayed.