Population density in North America

North America had 21.0 people per km² in 2023. The value for 2023 is the highest in the series, which starts in 1961.

Measure: Population density Unit: People per square kilometre of land Data: 1961 to 2023 Source: World Bank
North America is a group: World Bank region. The value is the aggregate published by World Bank, not an average calculated on this site.
North America, 2023 21.0 People per square kilometre of land
Change from 2022 +1.0% 2022: 20.8 people per km²
World, 2023 62.1 people per km² Official aggregate

Population density in North America over time

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North America World ×

People per square kilometre of land. Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators. Gaps mean no published value; points are not joined across missing years.

Population density (people per square kilometre of land), 2000 to 2023
Period North AmericaWorld
2023 21.0 people per km² 62.1 people per km²
2022 20.8 people per km² 61.6 people per km²
2021 20.7 people per km² 61.0 people per km²
2020 20.4 people per km² 60.4 people per km²
2019 20.3 people per km² 59.8 people per km²
2018 20.2 people per km² 59.2 people per km²
2017 20.1 people per km² 58.6 people per km²
2016 19.9 people per km² 57.9 people per km²
2015 19.7 people per km² 57.3 people per km²
2014 19.6 people per km² 56.6 people per km²
2013 19.4 people per km² 55.9 people per km²
2012 19.3 people per km² 55.2 people per km²
2011 19.1 people per km² 55.6 people per km²
2010 19.0 people per km² 54.9 people per km²
2009 18.8 people per km² 54.3 people per km²
2008 18.6 people per km² 53.6 people per km²
2007 18.4 people per km² 52.9 people per km²
2006 18.3 people per km² 52.3 people per km²
2005 18.1 people per km² 51.6 people per km²
2004 17.9 people per km² 51.0 people per km²
2003 17.8 people per km² 50.4 people per km²
2002 17.6 people per km² 49.7 people per km²
2001 17.4 people per km² 49.1 people per km²
2000 17.3 people per km² 48.4 people per km²

A dash means no value was published for that period.

In short

  • That is a change of +1.0% from 20.8 people per km² in 2022.
  • Since 2013, when it was 19.4 people per km², the figure has changed by +8.2%.
  • The figure for the world in 2023 was 62.1 people per km².

More for North America

All statistics for North America

Source and dates

Original producer
Food and Agriculture Organization and World Bank population estimates
Distributed by
World Bank, World Development Indicators
Dataset or series code
EN.POP.DNST · dataset details · view at source
Observation period
1961 to 2023 for North America
Provider update
8 October 2026
Retrieved
9 November 2026
Published here
9 November 2026
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (per series metadata)
Attribution
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators, original data: Food and Agriculture Organization and World Bank population estimates