UK population density compared with EU countries
World Bank figures put the UK's population density at 286 people per square kilometre in 2024, the 4th-highest of the UK and 27 EU countries with a figure for that year. The range ran from 18 people per square kilometre in Finland to 1,805 people per square kilometre in Malta. The simple average across the 28 was 199 people per square kilometre, a difference of 87 people per square kilometre from the UK's figure.
| Rank | Country | 2024 (people per km²) | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Malta UK v Malta | 1,805 | 1,388 |
| 2 | Netherlands UK v Netherlands | 534 | 503 |
| 3 | Belgium UK v Belgium | 389 | 372 |
| 4 | United Kingdom | 286 | 269 |
| 5 | Luxembourg UK v Luxembourg | 263 | 221 |
| 6 | Germany UK v Germany | 239 | 234 |
| 7 | Italy UK v Italy | 199 | 204 |
| 8 | Denmark UK v Denmark | 149 | 142 |
| 9 | Cyprus UK v Cyprus | 147 | 132 |
| 10 | Czechia UK v Czechia | 141 | 137 |
| 11 | France UK v France | 127 | 123 |
| 12 | Poland UK v Poland | 119 | 124 |
| 13 | Portugal UK v Portugal | 117 | 113 |
| 14 | Slovakia UK v Slovakia | 113 | 113 |
| 15 | Austria UK v Austria | 111 | 105 |
| 16 | Slovenia UK v Slovenia | 106 | 102 |
| 17 | Hungary UK v Hungary | 105 | 107 |
| 18 | Spain UK v Spain | 98 | 93 |
| 19 | Romania UK v Romania | 83 | 86 |
| 20 | Greece UK v Greece | 81 | 84 |
| 21 | Ireland UK v Ireland | 78 | 68 |
| 22 | Croatia UK v Croatia | 69 | 74 |
| 23 | Bulgaria UK v Bulgaria | 59 | 64 |
| 24 | Lithuania UK v Lithuania | 46 | 46 |
| 25 | Estonia UK v Estonia | 32 | 30 |
| 26 | Latvia UK v Latvia | 30 | 32 |
| 27 | Sweden UK v Sweden | 26 | 24 |
| 28 | Finland UK v Finland | 18 | 18 |
The UK over ten years
From 2015 to 2024 the UK's figure was highest in 2024 (286 people per square kilometre) and lowest in 2015 (269 people per square kilometre).
The UK's figure was higher than the average in every year from 2015 to 2024.
In 2015 the UK ranked 4th of the 28 countries with a figure; in 2024 it ranked 4th of 28.
No country changed places with the UK between 2015 and 2024.
How the World Bank measures it
The World Bank's population density is the mid-year population divided by land area in square kilometres. Land area excludes inland water such as major rivers and lakes.
Countries compared: The 27 EU member states, with the UK shown alongside. The table uses the latest year for which the UK and at least three-quarters of the countries the World Bank covers have a figure, so every value is for the same period.
Why this differs from the UK's own figures
The ONS publishes population density for the UK and its local areas using its own mid-year population estimates and land area. The World Bank uses population figures compiled from UN and national sources and a land area from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, so its UK figure can differ slightly from the ONS's.
The UK's own latest figure, with its definition and release dates: UK population.
Sources and receipts
Every value on this page was read from these addresses. The SHA-256 is the fingerprint of the file as downloaded, so a later change at the source can be detected.
- https://api.worldbank.org/v2/country/all/indicator/EN.POP.DNST?format=json&date=2014:2026&per_page=20000
World Bank, World Development Indicators · read 2026-10-14 · SHA-256
4fab5e31a541c5af… - World Bank: World Development IndicatorsThe publisher's page for this data, indicator EN.POP.DNST.
Common questions
Where does the UK rank for population density compared with EU countries?
World Bank figures for 2024 put the UK 4th of 28, counting from the highest, at 286 people per square kilometre.
Which country in this table has the highest population density?
Malta, at 1,805 people per square kilometre in 2024 (World Bank).
Which country in this table has the lowest population density?
Finland, at 18 people per square kilometre in 2024 (World Bank).
What is the EU average population density?
The simple average of the 27 EU countries with figures for 2024 is 196 people per square kilometre. The UK's figure is 286 people per square kilometre.
How has the UK's population density changed since 2015?
World Bank figures give 269 people per square kilometre for 2015 and 286 people per square kilometre for 2024; the ten-year chart above shows the years in between.
Is this the same as the UK's official figure?
The ONS publishes population density for the UK and its local areas using its own mid-year population estimates and land area. The World Bank uses population figures compiled from UN and national sources and a land area from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, so its UK figure can differ slightly from the ONS's.
More comparisons
- UK inflation compared with EU countries
- UK unemployment compared with EU countries
- UK GDP growth compared with EU countries
Compare any two countries on GDP, inflation, unemployment, debt and life expectancy: country comparison tool.
These pages state each body's figures and the UK's position among them. They give no view on whether a figure is high or low. To report an error, send a correction request.