Bhutan has a population density of 54.5 people per square mile compared to 387 people in China. Bhutan has 522,119 sq ft of land per person vs 73,316 sq ft in China. Bhutan and China rank 168th and 67th by population density, respectively.
Population density is calculated as the ratio of population to land area. Bhutan has 0.01% of the world's population and 0.03% of all countries' land area, compared to 17.3% of the population and 6.3% of the land area for China, making the population density in Bhutan 85.9% lower than in China.
Population density by year
people per square mile
| Year | Population density | |
|---|---|---|
Bhutan
|
China
|
|
| 2026 | 54.5 | 387 |
| 2025 | 54.1 | 388 |
| 2024 | 53.8 | 389 |
| 2023 | 53.4 | 389 |
| 2022 | 53 | 390 |
| 2021 | 52.7 | 390 |
| 2020 | 52.3 | 389 |
| 2019 | 51.9 | 388 |
| 2018 | 51.6 | 387 |
| 2017 | 51.2 | 385 |
| 2016 | 50.8 | 383 |
| 2015 | 50.3 | 381 |
| 2014 | 49.8 | 378 |
| 2013 | 49.3 | 376 |
| 2012 | 48.7 | 374 |
| 2011 | 48.2 | 371 |
| 2010 | 47.7 | 369 |
| 2009 | 47.2 | 367 |
| 2008 | 46.6 | 365 |
| 2007 | 46.1 | 364 |
| 2006 | 45.6 | 362 |
| 2005 | 45 | 360 |
| 2004 | 44.2 | 358 |
| 2003 | 41.5 | 355 |
| 2002 | 40.6 | 353 |
| 2001 | 39.7 | 351 |
| 2000 | 38.8 | 348 |
| 1999 | 37.9 | 346 |
| 1998 | 37.1 | 343 |
| 1997 | 36.4 | 339 |
| 1996 | 35.7 | 336 |
| 1995 | 35.7 | 332 |
| 1994 | 36.1 | 329 |
| 1993 | 30.7 | 325 |
| 1992 | 32 | 321 |
| 1991 | 33.2 | 317 |
| 1990 | 32.7 | 313 |
| 1989 | 31.8 | 309 |
| 1988 | 30.9 | 304 |
| 1987 | 30 | 299.1 |
| 1986 | 29.1 | 294.3 |
| 1985 | 28.2 | 290 |
| 1984 | 27.3 | 286 |
| 1983 | 26.5 | 282.3 |
| 1982 | 25.6 | 278.3 |
| 1981 | 24.8 | 274.2 |
| 1980 | 24 | 270.7 |
| 1979 | 23.2 | 267.3 |
| 1978 | 22.5 | 263.8 |
| 1977 | 21.7 | 260.3 |
| 1976 | 21 | 256.8 |
| 1975 | 20.3 | 252.8 |
| 1974 | 19.6 | 248.4 |
| 1973 | 18.9 | 243.3 |
| 1972 | 18.3 | 237.8 |
| 1971 | 17.7 | 232 |
| 1970 | 17.1 | 225.8 |
| 1969 | 16.5 | 219.6 |
| 1968 | 16 | 213.7 |
| 1967 | 15.5 | 208.2 |
| 1966 | 15 | 202.9 |
| 1965 | 14.5 | 197.3 |
| 1964 | 14 | 192.7 |
| 1963 | 13.6 | 188.2 |
| 1962 | 13.2 | 183.7 |
| 1961 | 12.8 | 182.2 |
Data sources: World Bank | Agriculture & Rural Development (1961–2026, retrieved 2026-04-06); United Nations | World Population Prospects (2025–2026, retrieved 2026-03-10).
GeoRank.org/population-density/bhutan/china | CC BY 
From 2006 to 2026, population density in Bhutan increased by 19.5%, compared to a 6.98% growth in China.
In 2006, Bhutan ranked 160th by population density and is 168th now. China was 57th in 2006 and ranks 67th out of 197 currently.
Population density comparison
|
Bhutan
|
China
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population density | 54.5 ppl/mi² | 387 ppl/mi² |
| Population density rank | 168/197 | 67/197 |
| Population |
803385
|
1402578808
|
| Land area | 14,726 sq mi | 3,624,808 sq mi |
| Land area per capita | 518,665 sq ft | 71,722 sq ft |
| Rural population | 57.4% | 34.1% |
| Urban population | 42.6% | 65.9% |
| Living in agglomerations of 1M+ people | 0% | 95.8% |
Share of urban population by year
| Year | Urban population | |
|---|---|---|
|
Bhutan
|
China
|
|
| 2024 | 42.6% | 65.9% |
| 2023 | 41.7% | 65.5% |
| 2022 | 40.9% | 65.2% |
| 2021 | 40.3% | 64.7% |
| 2020 | 39.7% | 63.5% |
| 2019 | 39.1% | 62.7% |
| 2018 | 38.5% | 61.5% |
| 2017 | 37.9% | 60.2% |
| 2016 | 37.3% | 58.8% |
| 2015 | 36.7% | 57.3% |
| 2014 | 36.1% | 55.8% |
| 2013 | 35.6% | 54.5% |
| 2012 | 35% | 53.1% |
| 2011 | 34.5% | 51.8% |
| 2010 | 33.9% | 49.2% |
| 2009 | 33.3% | 48.3% |
| 2008 | 32.8% | 47% |
| 2007 | 32.2% | 45.9% |
| 2006 | 31.6% | 44.3% |
| 2005 | 30.9% | 43% |
| 2004 | 30.3% | 41.8% |
| 2003 | 29.6% | 40.5% |
| 2002 | 29% | 39.1% |
| 2001 | 28.3% | 37.7% |
| 2000 | 27.6% | 36.4% |
| 1999 | 26.9% | 34.8% |
| 1998 | 26.2% | 33.4% |
| 1997 | 25.5% | 31.9% |
| 1996 | 24.7% | 30.5% |
| 1995 | 24% | 29% |
| 1994 | 23.3% | 28.5% |
| 1993 | 22.5% | 28% |
| 1992 | 21.7% | 27.5% |
| 1991 | 21% | 26.9% |
| 1990 | 20.2% | 26.2% |
| 1989 | 19.4% | 26.2% |
| 1988 | 18.6% | 25.8% |
| 1987 | 17.9% | 25.3% |
| 1986 | 17.1% | 24.5% |
| 1985 | 16.3% | 23.7% |
| 1984 | 15.5% | 23% |
| 1983 | 14.7% | 21.6% |
| 1982 | 13.9% | 20.6% |
| 1981 | 13% | 20.2% |
| 1980 | 12.2% | 19.4% |
| 1979 | 11.2% | 19% |
| 1978 | 10.1% | 17.9% |
| 1977 | 8.99% | 17.6% |
| 1976 | 7.87% | 17.4% |
| 1975 | 6.78% | 17.3% |
| 1974 | 5.77% | 17.2% |
| 1973 | 4.86% | 17.2% |
| 1972 | 4.09% | 17.1% |
| 1971 | 3.51% | 17.3% |
| 1970 | 3.16% | 17.4% |
| 1969 | 3.01% | 17.5% |
| 1968 | 2.91% | 17.6% |
| 1967 | 2.83% | 17.7% |
| 1966 | 2.77% | 17.9% |
| 1965 | 2.71% | 18% |
| 1964 | 2.66% | 18.3% |
| 1963 | 2.61% | 16.8% |
| 1962 | 2.57% | 17.3% |
| 1961 | 2.53% | 19.3% |
| 1960 | 2.48% | 19.7% |
Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2024, retrieved 2026-04-06).
GeoRank.org/population-density/bhutan/china | CC BY
From 2004 to 2024, the share of urban population changed from 30.3% to 42.6% in Bhutan and from 41.8% to 65.9% in China.
Densely populated cities
|
China
|
|
|---|---|
| City | Population |
| Chongqing | 32.1M |
| Shanghai | 24.9M |
| Beijing | 21.9M |
| Chengdu | 20.9M |
| Guangzhou | 18.7M |
| Shenzhen | 17.5M |
| Tianjin | 13.9M |
| Xi'an | 13M |
| Suzhou | 12.7M |
| Zhengzhou | 12.6M |
Compare countries by 7 more topics
Population density in other countries
Data sources: World Bank | Agriculture & Rural Development (1961–2026, retrieved 2026-04-06); United Nations | World Population Prospects (1961–2026, retrieved 2026-03-10); U.S. Census Bureau (1961–2025, retrieved 2026-02-08); Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2000–2019, retrieved 2026-02-20).
GeoRank.org/population-density/bhutan/china | CC BY
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Data sources:
- World Bank | Agriculture & Rural Development (1961–2026, retrieved 2026-04-06)
- United Nations | World Population Prospects (1961–2026, retrieved 2026-03-10)
- U.S. Census Bureau (1961–2025, retrieved 2026-02-08)
- Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2000–2019, retrieved 2026-02-20)
- Wikidata (2020–2024, retrieved 2026-02-08)
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