How to Get the Population Density of a Country

Population density measures the number of people in a specific unit of space. When used to describe the population density of a country, the measurement is usually expressed as a ratio of the number of people per square mile or square kilometers. Calculating the population density of a country requires two pieces of information: land size and total number of people.

Things You'll Need

• Pencil and paper
• Calculator

Instructions

1. Research the land size and population of a specific country. Listings of nations and populations can be found in various sources such as atlases, almanacs and government census bureaus.

2. Write down the equation for population density this way: Total population divided by land mass equals population density.

3. Calculate the population density of Monaco, for example by dividing the country's total population of 32,410 by square miles (0.77) or square kilometers (2). Dividing 32,410 by .77 square mile yields a population density of 42,090 people per square mile or 16,205 per square kilometer. The population density of the United States is 83.6 people per square mile. This can be calculated by dividing the total U.S. population of 295,734,100 (according to the 2000 census) by 3,537,438.44 square miles, which equals 83.6 people per square mile.

Tips & Warnings

• Population density can be calculated for any land mass for which the area is known, including the density of states, cities, counties and towns.

References

• National Geographic
• US Census Bureau
• WorldAtlas.com

Resources

• US Census Bureau Quick Facts