Bhutan has a population density of 54.5 people per square mile compared to 287 people in Malaysia. Bhutan has 522,119 sq ft of land per person vs 100,140 sq ft in Malaysia. Bhutan and Malaysia rank 168th and 85th 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 0.44% of the population and 0.22% of the land area for Malaysia, making the population density in Bhutan 81% lower than in Malaysia.
Population density by year
people per square mile
| Year | Population density | |
|---|---|---|
Bhutan
|
Malaysia
|
|
| 2026 | 54.5 | 287 |
| 2025 | 54.1 | 283.7 |
| 2024 | 53.8 | 280.3 |
| 2023 | 53.4 | 276.9 |
| 2022 | 53 | 273.5 |
| 2021 | 52.7 | 270.3 |
| 2020 | 52.3 | 267.2 |
| 2019 | 51.9 | 263.6 |
| 2018 | 51.6 | 259.4 |
| 2017 | 51.2 | 255.1 |
| 2016 | 50.8 | 250.6 |
| 2015 | 50.3 | 246.2 |
| 2014 | 49.8 | 242 |
| 2013 | 49.3 | 237.9 |
| 2012 | 48.7 | 233.8 |
| 2011 | 48.2 | 229.9 |
| 2010 | 47.7 | 225.9 |
| 2009 | 47.2 | 221.7 |
| 2008 | 46.6 | 217.3 |
| 2007 | 46.1 | 212.8 |
| 2006 | 45.6 | 208.3 |
| 2005 | 45 | 203.7 |
| 2004 | 44.2 | 199.1 |
| 2003 | 41.5 | 194.6 |
| 2002 | 40.6 | 190 |
| 2001 | 39.7 | 185.5 |
| 2000 | 38.8 | 181.1 |
| 1999 | 37.9 | 176.9 |
| 1998 | 37.1 | 172.7 |
| 1997 | 36.4 | 168.5 |
| 1996 | 35.7 | 164.4 |
| 1995 | 35.7 | 160.3 |
| 1994 | 36.1 | 156.2 |
| 1993 | 30.7 | 152.3 |
| 1992 | 32 | 148.5 |
| 1991 | 33.2 | 144.6 |
| 1990 | 32.7 | 140.6 |
| 1989 | 31.8 | 136.5 |
| 1988 | 30.9 | 132.4 |
| 1987 | 30 | 128.3 |
| 1986 | 29.1 | 124.2 |
| 1985 | 28.2 | 120.2 |
| 1984 | 27.3 | 116.3 |
| 1983 | 26.5 | 112.6 |
| 1982 | 25.6 | 109 |
| 1981 | 24.8 | 105.6 |
| 1980 | 24 | 102.3 |
| 1979 | 23.2 | 99.5 |
| 1978 | 22.5 | 97.2 |
| 1977 | 21.7 | 94.9 |
| 1976 | 21 | 92.6 |
| 1975 | 20.3 | 90.4 |
| 1974 | 19.6 | 88.3 |
| 1973 | 18.9 | 86.2 |
| 1972 | 18.3 | 84.2 |
| 1971 | 17.7 | 82.2 |
| 1970 | 17.1 | 80.2 |
| 1969 | 16.5 | 78.4 |
| 1968 | 16 | 76.7 |
| 1967 | 15.5 | 74.9 |
| 1966 | 15 | 73.2 |
| 1965 | 14.5 | 71.4 |
| 1964 | 14 | 69.6 |
| 1963 | 13.6 | 67.8 |
| 1962 | 13.2 | 66.1 |
| 1961 | 12.8 | 64.4 |
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/malaysia | CC BY 
From 2006 to 2026, population density in Bhutan increased by 19.5%, compared to a 37.8% growth in Malaysia.
In 2006, Bhutan ranked 160th by population density and is 168th now. Malaysia was 92nd in 2006 and ranks 85th out of 197 currently.
Population density comparison
|
Bhutan
|
Malaysia
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population density | 54.5 ppl/mi² | 287 ppl/mi² |
| Population density rank | 168/197 | 85/197 |
| Population |
803385
|
36512221
|
| Land area | 14,726 sq mi | 126,854 sq mi |
| Land area per capita | 518,665 sq ft | 99,458 sq ft |
| Rural population | 57.4% | 23.1% |
| Urban population | 42.6% | 76.9% |
| Living in agglomerations of 1M+ people | 0% | 24.7% |
Share of urban population by year
| Year | Urban population | |
|---|---|---|
|
Bhutan
|
Malaysia
|
|
| 2024 | 42.6% | 76.9% |
| 2023 | 41.7% | 76.4% |
| 2022 | 40.9% | 76% |
| 2021 | 40.3% | 75.5% |
| 2020 | 39.7% | 75.1% |
| 2019 | 39.1% | 74.8% |
| 2018 | 38.5% | 74.6% |
| 2017 | 37.9% | 74.2% |
| 2016 | 37.3% | 73.9% |
| 2015 | 36.7% | 73.4% |
| 2014 | 36.1% | 73% |
| 2013 | 35.6% | 72.5% |
| 2012 | 35% | 72% |
| 2011 | 34.5% | 71.4% |
| 2010 | 33.9% | 70.9% |
| 2009 | 33.3% | 70.2% |
| 2008 | 32.8% | 69.5% |
| 2007 | 32.2% | 68.8% |
| 2006 | 31.6% | 67.9% |
| 2005 | 30.9% | 67% |
| 2004 | 30.3% | 66.1% |
| 2003 | 29.6% | 65.1% |
| 2002 | 29% | 64.1% |
| 2001 | 28.3% | 63% |
| 2000 | 27.6% | 62% |
| 1999 | 26.9% | 60.9% |
| 1998 | 26.2% | 59.7% |
| 1997 | 25.5% | 58.5% |
| 1996 | 24.7% | 57.2% |
| 1995 | 24% | 55.9% |
| 1994 | 23.3% | 54.6% |
| 1993 | 22.5% | 53.2% |
| 1992 | 21.7% | 51.9% |
| 1991 | 21% | 50.5% |
| 1990 | 20.2% | 49% |
| 1989 | 19.4% | 47.4% |
| 1988 | 18.6% | 45.8% |
| 1987 | 17.9% | 44% |
| 1986 | 17.1% | 42.3% |
| 1985 | 16.3% | 40.6% |
| 1984 | 15.5% | 39% |
| 1983 | 14.7% | 37.5% |
| 1982 | 13.9% | 36.2% |
| 1981 | 13% | 35.1% |
| 1980 | 12.2% | 34.2% |
| 1979 | 11.2% | 33.6% |
| 1978 | 10.1% | 33% |
| 1977 | 8.99% | 32.4% |
| 1976 | 7.87% | 31.9% |
| 1975 | 6.78% | 31.4% |
| 1974 | 5.77% | 30.9% |
| 1973 | 4.86% | 30.5% |
| 1972 | 4.09% | 30.1% |
| 1971 | 3.51% | 29.8% |
| 1970 | 3.16% | 29.4% |
| 1969 | 3.01% | 29.1% |
| 1968 | 2.91% | 28.8% |
| 1967 | 2.83% | 28.5% |
| 1966 | 2.77% | 28.1% |
| 1965 | 2.71% | 27.8% |
| 1964 | 2.66% | 27.5% |
| 1963 | 2.61% | 27.2% |
| 1962 | 2.57% | 26.8% |
| 1961 | 2.53% | 26.5% |
| 1960 | 2.48% | 26.1% |
Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2024, retrieved 2026-04-06).
GeoRank.org/population-density/bhutan/malaysia | CC BY
From 2004 to 2024, the share of urban population changed from 30.3% to 42.6% in Bhutan and from 66.1% to 76.9% in Malaysia.
Densely populated cities
|
Malaysia
|
|
|---|---|
| City | Population |
| Kuala Lumpur | 9M |
| Klang | 878K |
| Ipoh | 867K |
| Johor Bahru | 798K |
| George Town | 794K |
| Shah Alam | 741K |
| Subang Jaya | 708K |
| Petaling Jaya | 639K |
| Kuantan | 608K |
| Sungai Petani | 545K |
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/malaysia | 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 (2010–2025, retrieved 2026-02-08)
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