Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Eritrea
Eritrea: Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre was 9.94 people per square kilometre in 2023. ▲ Rising
Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Eritrea, 1993–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in people per square kilometre.
Analysis
In 2023, number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Eritrea stood at 9.94 people per square kilometre. That is the highest value across all 31 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.3% on the previous year and up 9.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Eritrea peaked at 9.94 people per square kilometre in 2023 and was at its lowest, 4.28 people per square kilometre, in 1993.
That places Eritrea 188th out of 215 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 31 years of available data.
Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Eritrea, year by year
| Year | people per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 4.28 people per square kilometre | — |
| 1994 | 4.78 people per square kilometre | +11.9% |
| 1995 | 5.46 people per square kilometre | +14.2% |
| 1996 | 6.15 people per square kilometre | +12.5% |
| 1997 | 6.59 people per square kilometre | +7.2% |
| 1998 | 6.99 people per square kilometre | +6.1% |
| 1999 | 7.34 people per square kilometre | +4.9% |
| 2000 | 7.59 people per square kilometre | +3.4% |
| 2001 | 7.86 people per square kilometre | +3.6% |
| 2002 | 8.18 people per square kilometre | +4.2% |
| 2003 | 8.58 people per square kilometre | +4.8% |
| 2004 | 7.5 people per square kilometre | -12.6% |
| 2005 | 7.72 people per square kilometre | +2.9% |
| 2006 | 7.88 people per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 2007 | 8.02 people per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 2008 | 8.26 people per square kilometre | +3.0% |
| 2009 | 8.49 people per square kilometre | +2.8% |
| 2010 | 8.67 people per square kilometre | +2.2% |
| 2011 | 8.83 people per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 2012 | 8.95 people per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 2013 | 9.06 people per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 2014 | 9.11 people per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 9.13 people per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 9.17 people per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 2017 | 9.22 people per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 2018 | 9.32 people per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 2019 | 9.43 people per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 2020 | 9.55 people per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 2021 | 9.67 people per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 2022 | 9.8 people per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 2023 | 9.94 people per square kilometre | +1.3% |
Eritrea compared with similar countries
- Eritrea's 9.94 people per square kilometre is below the median for low income countries, which is 23.39 people per square kilometre, 42% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Eritrea's 9.94 people per square kilometre is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 28.41 people per square kilometre, 35% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 5.94 people per square kilometre | 4.28 people per square kilometre | 7.34 people per square kilometre | 7 |
| 2000s | 8.01 people per square kilometre | 7.5 people per square kilometre | 8.58 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 9.09 people per square kilometre | 8.67 people per square kilometre | 9.43 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.74 people per square kilometre | 9.55 people per square kilometre | 9.94 people per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near Eritrea
- 185 Paraguay 11.98 people per square kilometre compare
- 186 Congo 11.53 people per square kilometre compare
- 187 New Caledonia 10.74 people per square kilometre compare
- 189 Sudan 9.32 people per square kilometre compare
- 190 Gabon 8.84 people per square kilometre compare
- 191 Bhutan 8.61 people per square kilometre compare
More population data for Eritrea
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.278 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate 0.3999 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.278 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.2011 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 5,964 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 1.97 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.4564 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth 0.3% (2100)
- Population density 69.76 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 525,382 people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Eritrea?
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Eritrea was 9.94 people per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre recorded in Eritrea?
- The highest recorded value was 9.94 people per square kilometre in 2023.
- What is the lowest number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre recorded in Eritrea?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.28 people per square kilometre in 1993.
- How does Eritrea rank for number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre?
- Eritrea ranks 188th out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre rising or falling in Eritrea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Eritrea data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 31 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Number of people living in urban and rural areas divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Number of people living in urban and rural areas ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Number of people living in urban and rural areas divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.