Census data reveals that population density varies noticeably from area to area. Small area census data do a better job depicting where the crowded neighborhoods are. In this map, the yellow areas of highest density range from 30,000 to 150,000 persons per square kilometer. In those areas, if the people were spread out evenly across the area, there would be just 4 to 9 meters between them. Very high density areas exceed 7,000 persons per square kilometer. High density areas exceed 5,200 persons per square kilometer. The last categories break at 3,330 persons per square kilometer, and 1,500 persons per square kilometer.This dataset is comprised of multiple sources. All of the demographic data are from Michael Bauer Research with the exception of the following countries:Australia: Esri Australia and MapData ServicesCanada: Esri Canada and EnvironicsFrance: Esri FranceGermany: Esri Germany and NexigaIndia: Esri India and IndicusJapan: Esri JapanSouth Korea: Esri Korea and OPENmateSpain: Esri España and AISUnited States: Esri Demographics

In the middle of 2023, about 60 percent of the global population was living in Asia.The total world population amounted to 8.1 billion people on the planet. In other words 4.7 billion people were living in Asia as of 2023. Global populationDue to medical advances, better living conditions and the increase of agricultural productivity, the world population increased rapidly over the past century, and is expected to continue to grow. After reaching eight billion in 2023, the global population is estimated to pass 10 billion by 2060. Africa expected to drive population increase Most of the future population increase is expected to happen in Africa. The countries with the highest population growth rate in 2024 were mostly African countries. While around 1.47 billion people live on the continent as of 2024, this is forecast to grow to 3.9 billion by 2100. This is underlined by the fact that most of the countries wit the highest population growth rate are found in Africa. The growing population, in combination with climate change, puts increasing pressure on the world's resources.

This layer was created by Duncan Smith and based on work by the European Commission JRC and CIESIN. A description from his website follows:--------------------A brilliant new dataset produced by the European Commission JRC and CIESIN Columbia University was recently released- the Global Human Settlement Layer (GHSL). This is the first time that detailed and comprehensive population density and built-up area for the world has been available as open data. As usual, my first thought was to make an interactive map, now online at- http://luminocity3d.org/WorldPopDen/The World Population Density map is exploratory, as the dataset is very rich and new, and I am also testing out new methods for navigating statistics at both national and city scales on this site. There are clearly many applications of this data in understanding urban geographies at different scales, urban development, sustainability and change over time.

The Crisis Mapping Toolkit (CMT) is a collection of tools for processing geospatial data (images, satellite data, etc.) into cartographic products that improve understanding of large-scale crises, such as natural disasters. The cartographic products produced by CMT include flood inundation maps, maps of damaged or destroyed structures, forest fire maps, population density estimates, etc. CMT is designed to rapidly process large-scale data using Google Earth Engine and other geospatial data systems.

As of 2025, Asia was the most densely populated region of the world, with nearly 156 inhabitants per square kilometer, whereas Oceania's population density was just over five inhabitants per square kilometer.

The population of the world, allocated to 1 arcsecond blocks. This refines CIESIN’s Gridded Population of the World project, using machine learning models on high-resolution worldwide Digital Globe satellite imagery. For more information, visit: https://ai.facebook.com/blog/mapping-the-world-to-help-aid-workers-with-weakly-semi-supervised-learning

This dataset features three gridded population dadasets of Germany on a 10m grid. The units are people per grid cell.

Datasets

DE_POP_VOLADJ16: This dataset was produced by disaggregating national census counts to 10m grid cells based on a weighted dasymetric mapping approach. A building density, building height and building type dataset were used as underlying covariates, with an adjusted volume for multi-family residential buildings.

DE_POP_TDBP: This dataset is considered a best product, based on a dasymetric mapping approach that disaggregated municipal census counts to 10m grid cells using the same three underyling covariate layers.

DE_POP_BU: This dataset is based on a bottom-up gridded population estimate. A building density, building height and building type layer were used to compute a living floor area dataset in a 10m grid. Using federal statistics on the average living floor are per capita, this bottom-up estimate was created.

Please refer to the related publication for details.

Temporal extent

The building density layer is based on Sentinel-2 time series data from 2018 and Sentinel-1 time series data from 2017 (doi: http://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.920894)

The building height layer is representative for ca. 2015 (doi: 10.5281/zenodo.4066295)

The building types layer is based on Sentinel-2 time series data from 2018 and Sentinel-1 time series data from 2017 (doi: 10.5281/zenodo.4601219)

The underlying census data is from 2018.

Data format

The data come in tiles of 30x30km (see shapefile). The projection is EPSG:3035. The images are compressed GeoTiff files (.tif). There is a mosaic in GDAL Virtual format (.vrt), which can readily be opened in most Geographic Information Systems.

Further information

For further information, please see the publication or contact Franz Schug (franz.schug@geo.hu-berlin.de). A web-visualization of this dataset is available here.

Publication

Schug, F., Frantz, D., van der Linden, S., & Hostert, P. (2021). Gridded population mapping for Germany based on building density, height and type from Earth Observation data using census disaggregation and bottom-up estimates. PLOS ONE. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0249044

Acknowledgements

Census data were provided by the German Federal Statistical Offices.

Funding This dataset was produced with funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (MAT_STOCKS, grant agreement No 741950).

WorldPop produces different types of gridded population count datasets, depending on the methods used and end application. Please make sure you have read our Mapping Populations overview page before choosing and downloading a dataset.

Datasets are available to download in Geotiff and ASCII XYZ format at a resolution of 30 arc-seconds (approximately 1km at the equator)

-Unconstrained individual countries 2000-2020: Population density datasets for all countries of the World for each year 2000-2020 – derived from the corresponding Unconstrained individual countries 2000-2020 population count datasets by dividing the number of people in each pixel by the pixel surface area. These are produced using the unconstrained top-down modelling method.
-Unconstrained individual countries 2000-2020 UN adjusted: Population density datasets for all countries of the World for each year 2000-2020 – derived from the corresponding Unconstrained individual countries 2000-2020 population UN adjusted count datasets by dividing the number of people in each pixel, adjusted to match the country total from the official United Nations population estimates (UN 2019), by the pixel surface area. These are produced using the unconstrained top-down modelling method.

Data for earlier dates is available directly from WorldPop.

WorldPop (www.worldpop.org - School of Geography and Environmental Science, University of Southampton; Department of Geography and Geosciences, University of Louisville; Departement de Geographie, Universite de Namur) and Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN), Columbia University (2018). Global High Resolution Population Denominators Project - Funded by The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (OPP1134076). https://dx.doi.org/10.5258/SOTON/WP00674

Thematic map displays population density. The data is taken from FAO LADA databank.

The population of the world, allocated to 1 arcsecond blocks. This refines CIESIN’s Gridded Population of the World project, using machine learning models on high-resolution worldwide Digital Globe satellite imagery. More information.

There is also a tiled version of this dataset that may be easier to use if you are interested in many countries.

The population of the world, allocated to 1 arcsecond blocks. This refines CIESIN’s Gridded Population of the World project, using machine learning models on high-resolution worldwide Digital Globe satellite imagery. More information.

There is also a tiled version of this dataset that may be easier to use if you are interested in many countries.

This dataset contains estimates of the number of persons per 30 arc-second grid cell, consistent with national censuses and population registers with respect to relative spatial distribution but adjusted to match the 2015 Revision of UN World Population Prospects country totals. There is one image for each modeled year. General Documentation The Gridded Population of World Version 4 (GPWv4), Revision 11 models the distribution of global human population for the years 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2020 on 30 arc-second (approximately 1 km) grid cells. Population is distributed to cells using proportional allocation of population from census and administrative units. Population input data are collected at the most detailed spatial resolution available from the results of the 2010 round of censuses, which occurred between 2005 and 2014. The input data are extrapolated to produce population estimates for each modeled year.

Monaco led the ranking for countries with the highest population density in 2024, with nearly 26,000 residents per square kilometer. The Special Administrative Region of Macao came in second, followed by Singapore. The world’s second smallest country Monaco is the world’s second-smallest country, with an area of about two square kilometers and a population of only around 40,000. It is a constitutional monarchy located by the Mediterranean Sea, and while Monaco is not part of the European Union, it does participate in some EU policies. The country is perhaps most famous for the Monte Carlo casino and for hosting the Monaco Grand Prix, the world's most prestigious Formula One race. The global population Globally, the population density per square kilometer is about 60 inhabitants, and Asia is the most densely populated region in the world. The global population is increasing rapidly, so population density is only expected to increase. In 1950, for example, the global population stood at about 2.54 billion people, and it reached over eight billion during 2023.

WorldPop produces different types of gridded population count datasets, depending on the methods used and end application. Please make sure you have read our Mapping Populations overview page before choosing and downloading a dataset.

Datasets are available to download in Geotiff and ASCII XYZ format at a resolution of 30 arc-seconds (approximately 1km at the equator)

-Unconstrained individual countries 2000-2020: Population density datasets for all countries of the World for each year 2000-2020 – derived from the corresponding Unconstrained individual countries 2000-2020 population count datasets by dividing the number of people in each pixel by the pixel surface area. These are produced using the unconstrained top-down modelling method.
-Unconstrained individual countries 2000-2020 UN adjusted: Population density datasets for all countries of the World for each year 2000-2020 – derived from the corresponding Unconstrained individual countries 2000-2020 population UN adjusted count datasets by dividing the number of people in each pixel, adjusted to match the country total from the official United Nations population estimates (UN 2019), by the pixel surface area. These are produced using the unconstrained top-down modelling method.

Data for earlier dates is available directly from WorldPop.

WorldPop (www.worldpop.org - School of Geography and Environmental Science, University of Southampton; Department of Geography and Geosciences, University of Louisville; Departement de Geographie, Universite de Namur) and Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN), Columbia University (2018). Global High Resolution Population Denominators Project - Funded by The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (OPP1134076). https://dx.doi.org/10.5258/SOTON/WP00674

The population of the world, allocated to 1 arcsecond blocks. This refines CIESIN’s Gridded Population of the World project, using machine learning models on high-resolution worldwide Digital Globe satellite imagery. More information.

There is also a tiled version of this dataset that may be easier to use if you are interested in many countries.

The LandScan data set is a worldwide population database compiled on a 30" X 30" latitude/longitude grid. Census counts (at sub-national level) were apportioned to each grid cell based on likelihood coefficients, which are based on proximity to roads, slope, land cover, nighttime lights, and other data sets. LandScan has been developed as part of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Global Population Project for estimating ambient populations at risk. The LandScan files are available via the internet in ESRI grid format by continent and for the world. You can access the data files after user registration through the data links. For an overview of the methods used to develop LandScan, please read the documentation and FAQs.

[Summary provided by Oak Ridge National Laboratory]

The world's population first reached one billion people in 1803, and reach eight billion in 2023, and will peak at almost 11 billion by the end of the century. Although it took thousands of years to reach one billion people, it did so at the beginning of a phenomenon known as the demographic transition; from this point onwards, population growth has skyrocketed, and since the 1960s the population has increased by one billion people every 12 to 15 years. The demographic transition sees a sharp drop in mortality due to factors such as vaccination, sanitation, and improved food supply; the population boom that follows is due to increased survival rates among children and higher life expectancy among the general population; and fertility then drops in response to this population growth. Regional differences The demographic transition is a global phenomenon, but it has taken place at different times across the world. The industrialized countries of Europe and North America were the first to go through this process, followed by some states in the Western Pacific. Latin America's population then began growing at the turn of the 20th century, but the most significant period of global population growth occurred as Asia progressed in the late-1900s. As of the early 21st century, almost two thirds of the world's population live in Asia, although this is set to change significantly in the coming decades. Future growth The growth of Africa's population, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, will have the largest impact on global demographics in this century. From 2000 to 2100, it is expected that Africa's population will have increased by a factor of almost five. It overtook Europe in size in the late 1990s, and overtook the Americas a decade later. In contrast to Africa, Europe's population is now in decline, as birth rates are consistently below death rates in many countries, especially in the south and east, resulting in natural population decline. Similarly, the population of the Americas and Asia are expected to go into decline in the second half of this century, and only Oceania's population will still be growing alongside Africa. By 2100, the world's population will have over three billion more than today, with the vast majority of this concentrated in Africa. Demographers predict that climate change is exacerbating many of the challenges that currently hinder progress in Africa, such as political and food instability; if Africa's transition is prolonged, then it may result in further population growth that would place a strain on the region's resources, however, curbing this growth earlier would alleviate some of the pressure created by climate change.

Students will explore the patterns of world population in terms of total population, arithmetic density, total fertility rate, natural increase rate, and infant mortality rate. The activity uses a web-based map.Learning outcomes:Students will be able to identify and explain the spatial patterns and distribution of world population based on total population, density, total fertility rate, natural increase rate, and infant mortality rate.Other New Zealand GeoInquiry instructional material freely available at https://arcg.is/1GPDXe

This layer contains WorldPop's 100m resolution annual estimates of population density from the year 2000 to 2020. Usage notes: This layer is configured to be viewed only at a scale range for large-scale maps, i.e., zoomed into small areas of the world. Because the underlying data for this layer is relatively large and because raster pyramids cannot accurately represent aggregated population density, there are no pyramids. Thus, this layer may at times require 10 to 15 seconds to draw. We recommend using this layer in conjunction with WorldPop's 1-km resolution Population Density layer to create web maps that allow users to pan and zoom to wider areas; this web map contains an example of this combination. The population estimates in this layer are derived WorldPop's total population data, which use a Top-down unconstrained method which estimates the total population for each cell with a Random Forest-based dasymetric model (Stevens, F. R., Gaughan, A. E., Linard, C., & Tatem, A. J. (2015). Disaggregating census data for population mapping using random forests with remotely-sensed and ancillary data. PloS one, 10(2), e0107042) and converts these values to population density by dividing the number of people in each pixel by the pixel surface area. This diagram visually describes this model that uses known populated locations to analyze imagery to find similarly populated locations. The DOI for the original WorldPop.org total population population data is 10.5258/SOTON/WP00645.Recommended Citation: WorldPop (www.worldpop.org - School of Geography and Environmental Science, University of Southampton; Department of Geography and Geosciences, University of Louisville; Departement de Geographie, Universite de Namur) and Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN), Columbia University (2018). Global High Resolution Population Denominators Project - Funded by The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Accessed from https://worldpop.arcgis.com/arcgis/rest/services/WorldPop_Total_Population_100m/ImageServer, which was acquired from WorldPop in December 2021.

The population of the world, allocated to 1 arcsecond blocks. This refines CIESIN’s Gridded Population of the World project, using machine learning models on high-resolution worldwide Digital Globe satellite imagery. More information.

There is also a tiled version of this dataset that may be easier to use if you are interested in many countries.