Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre was 236.09 people per square kilometre in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
236.09 people per square kilometre
Change on year
up 0.8%
World rank
32nd
of 215 countries
All-time high
236.09 people per square kilometre
in 2023
All-time low
171.31 people per square kilometre
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in United Kingdom, 1961–2023
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 United Kingdom stood at 236.09 people per square kilometre. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
The figure is up 0.8% on the previous year and up 8.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in United Kingdom peaked at 236.09 people per square kilometre in 2023 and was at its lowest, 171.31 people per square kilometre, in 1961.
That places United Kingdom 32nd out of 215 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | people per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 171.31 people per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 172.17 people per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 1963 | 172.97 people per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 1964 | 173.67 people per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 1965 | 174.35 people per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 1966 | 174.94 people per square kilometre | +0.3% |
| 1967 | 175.51 people per square kilometre | +0.3% |
| 1968 | 176.03 people per square kilometre | +0.3% |
| 1969 | 176.47 people per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 1970 | 176.97 people per square kilometre | +0.3% |
| 1971 | 177.66 people per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 1972 | 178.41 people per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 1973 | 179.09 people per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 1974 | 179.67 people per square kilometre | +0.3% |
| 1975 | 180.21 people per square kilometre | +0.3% |
| 1976 | 180.74 people per square kilometre | +0.3% |
| 1977 | 181.24 people per square kilometre | +0.3% |
| 1978 | 181.76 people per square kilometre | +0.3% |
| 1979 | 182.32 people per square kilometre | +0.3% |
| 1980 | 182.79 people per square kilometre | +0.3% |
| 1981 | 182.92 people per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 1982 | 182.84 people per square kilometre | -0.0% |
| 1983 | 182.87 people per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 183.12 people per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 1985 | 183.46 people per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 1986 | 183.76 people per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 1987 | 184.02 people per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 1988 | 184.32 people per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 1989 | 184.7 people per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 1990 | 185.22 people per square kilometre | +0.3% |
| 1991 | 185.81 people per square kilometre | +0.3% |
| 1992 | 186.46 people per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 1993 | 187.21 people per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 1994 | 188.08 people per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 1995 | 189.08 people per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 1996 | 190.12 people per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 1997 | 191.2 people per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 1998 | 192.39 people per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 1999 | 193.65 people per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 2000 | 194.86 people per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 2001 | 196.01 people per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 2002 | 197.17 people per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 2003 | 198.39 people per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 2004 | 199.82 people per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 2005 | 201.49 people per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 2006 | 203.26 people per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 2007 | 205.13 people per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 2008 | 207.04 people per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 2009 | 208.94 people per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 2010 | 210.94 people per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 2011 | 212.99 people per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 2012 | 214.91 people per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 2013 | 216.8 people per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 2014 | 218.88 people per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 2015 | 221.13 people per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 2016 | 223.4 people per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 2017 | 225.53 people per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 2018 | 227.48 people per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 2019 | 229.32 people per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 2020 | 230.79 people per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 2021 | 232.12 people per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 2022 | 234.12 people per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 2023 | 236.09 people per square kilometre | +0.8% |
United Kingdom compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom's 236.09 people per square kilometre is above the median for high income countries, which is 78.87 people per square kilometre, 3.0× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom's 236.09 people per square kilometre is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 54.24 people per square kilometre, 4.4× the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 174.16 people per square kilometre | 171.31 people per square kilometre | 176.47 people per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 179.81 people per square kilometre | 176.97 people per square kilometre | 182.32 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 183.48 people per square kilometre | 182.79 people per square kilometre | 184.7 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 188.92 people per square kilometre | 185.22 people per square kilometre | 193.65 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 201.21 people per square kilometre | 194.86 people per square kilometre | 208.94 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 220.14 people per square kilometre | 210.94 people per square kilometre | 229.32 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 233.28 people per square kilometre | 230.79 people per square kilometre | 236.09 people per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
- 29 Qatar 257.42 people per square kilometre compare
- 30 Mauritius 248.75 people per square kilometre compare
- 31 Luxembourg 244.91 people per square kilometre compare
- 33 United States Virgin Islands 233.29 people per square kilometre compare
- 34 Haiti 229.92 people per square kilometre compare
- 35 El Salvador 227.19 people per square kilometre compare
More population data for United Kingdom
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.1791 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate 0.1389 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.1791 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.0706 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 71,685 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.2666 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.169 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth -0.2% (2100)
- Population density 307.14 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 3.21 million people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in United Kingdom?
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in United Kingdom was 236.09 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 United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 236.09 people per square kilometre in 2023.
- What is the lowest number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 171.31 people per square kilometre in 1961.
- How does United Kingdom rank for number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre?
- United Kingdom ranks 32nd 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 United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United Kingdom 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 — 63 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.