Population density in South Asia

South Asia had 496.8 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
South Asia is a group: World Bank region. The value is the aggregate published by World Bank, not an average calculated on this site.
South Asia, 2023 496.8 People per square kilometre of land
Change from 2022 +0.9% 2022: 492.4 people per km²
World, 2023 62.1 people per km² Official aggregate

Population density in South Asia over time

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South Asia 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 South AsiaWorld
2023 496.8 people per km² 62.1 people per km²
2022 492.4 people per km² 61.6 people per km²
2021 488.4 people per km² 61.0 people per km²
2020 484.3 people per km² 60.4 people per km²
2019 479.7 people per km² 59.8 people per km²
2018 474.8 people per km² 59.2 people per km²
2017 469.8 people per km² 58.6 people per km²
2016 464.6 people per km² 57.9 people per km²
2015 459.3 people per km² 57.3 people per km²
2014 454.0 people per km² 56.6 people per km²
2013 448.5 people per km² 55.9 people per km²
2012 443.1 people per km² 55.2 people per km²
2011 437.4 people per km² 55.6 people per km²
2010 431.6 people per km² 54.9 people per km²
2009 425.8 people per km² 54.3 people per km²
2008 420.0 people per km² 53.6 people per km²
2007 414.3 people per km² 52.9 people per km²
2006 408.4 people per km² 52.3 people per km²
2005 402.3 people per km² 51.6 people per km²
2004 396.1 people per km² 51.0 people per km²
2003 389.4 people per km² 50.4 people per km²
2002 382.9 people per km² 49.7 people per km²
2001 376.2 people per km² 49.1 people per km²
2000 369.4 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 +0.9% from 492.4 people per km² in 2022.
  • Since 2013, when it was 448.5 people per km², the figure has changed by +10.7%.
  • The figure for the world in 2023 was 62.1 people per km².

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 South Asia
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