Brazil has a population density of 66.2 people per square mile compared to 387 people in China. Brazil has 432,375 sq ft of land per person vs 73,316 sq ft in China. Brazil and China rank 164th and 67th by population density, respectively.
Population density is calculated as the ratio of population to land area. Brazil has 2.61% of the world's population and 5.61% 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 Brazil 82.9% lower than in China.
Population density by year
people per square mile
| Year | Population density | |
|---|---|---|
Brazil
|
China
|
|
| 2026 | 66.2 | 387 |
| 2025 | 66 | 388 |
| 2024 | 65.7 | 389 |
| 2023 | 65.4 | 389 |
| 2022 | 65.2 | 390 |
| 2021 | 64.9 | 390 |
| 2020 | 64.7 | 389 |
| 2019 | 64.3 | 388 |
| 2018 | 63.9 | 387 |
| 2017 | 63.4 | 385 |
| 2016 | 63 | 383 |
| 2015 | 62.5 | 381 |
| 2014 | 62 | 378 |
| 2013 | 61.5 | 376 |
| 2012 | 61 | 374 |
| 2011 | 60.5 | 371 |
| 2010 | 60 | 369 |
| 2009 | 59.5 | 367 |
| 2008 | 59 | 365 |
| 2007 | 58.4 | 364 |
| 2006 | 57.8 | 362 |
| 2005 | 57.2 | 360 |
| 2004 | 56.6 | 358 |
| 2003 | 56 | 355 |
| 2002 | 55.3 | 353 |
| 2001 | 54.6 | 351 |
| 2000 | 53.9 | 348 |
| 1999 | 53.2 | 346 |
| 1998 | 52.4 | 343 |
| 1997 | 51.6 | 339 |
| 1996 | 50.9 | 336 |
| 1995 | 50.1 | 332 |
| 1994 | 49.4 | 329 |
| 1993 | 48.6 | 325 |
| 1992 | 47.8 | 321 |
| 1991 | 47 | 317 |
| 1990 | 46.2 | 313 |
| 1989 | 45.4 | 309 |
| 1988 | 44.6 | 304 |
| 1987 | 43.7 | 299.1 |
| 1986 | 42.9 | 294.3 |
| 1985 | 42 | 290 |
| 1984 | 41.1 | 286 |
| 1983 | 40.2 | 282.3 |
| 1982 | 39.3 | 278.3 |
| 1981 | 38.4 | 274.2 |
| 1980 | 37.6 | 270.7 |
| 1979 | 36.7 | 267.3 |
| 1978 | 35.8 | 263.8 |
| 1977 | 35 | 260.3 |
| 1976 | 34.2 | 256.8 |
| 1975 | 33.3 | 252.8 |
| 1974 | 32.6 | 248.4 |
| 1973 | 31.8 | 243.3 |
| 1972 | 31 | 237.8 |
| 1971 | 30.3 | 232 |
| 1970 | 29.6 | 225.8 |
| 1969 | 28.8 | 219.6 |
| 1968 | 28.1 | 213.7 |
| 1967 | 27.4 | 208.2 |
| 1966 | 26.7 | 202.9 |
| 1965 | 26 | 197.3 |
| 1964 | 25.3 | 192.7 |
| 1963 | 24.5 | 188.2 |
| 1962 | 23.8 | 183.7 |
| 1961 | 23.1 | 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/brazil/china | CC BY 
From 2006 to 2026, population density in Brazil increased by 14.5%, compared to a 6.98% growth in China.
In 2006, Brazil ranked 154th by population density and is 164th now. China was 57th in 2006 and ranks 67th out of 197 currently.
Population density comparison
|
Brazil
|
China
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population density | 66.2 ppl/mi² | 387 ppl/mi² |
| Population density rank | 164/197 | 67/197 |
| Population |
213824938
|
1402578808
|
| Land area | 3,227,096 sq mi | 3,624,808 sq mi |
| Land area per capita | 424,372 sq ft | 71,722 sq ft |
| Rural population | 12.1% | 34.1% |
| Urban population | 87.9% | 65.9% |
| Living in agglomerations of 1M+ people | 19.3% | 95.8% |
Share of urban population by year
| Year | Urban population | |
|---|---|---|
|
Brazil
|
China
|
|
| 2024 | 87.9% | 65.9% |
| 2023 | 87.6% | 65.5% |
| 2022 | 87.3% | 65.2% |
| 2021 | 87.1% | 64.7% |
| 2020 | 86.9% | 63.5% |
| 2019 | 86.7% | 62.7% |
| 2018 | 86.4% | 61.5% |
| 2017 | 86.2% | 60.2% |
| 2016 | 85.9% | 58.8% |
| 2015 | 85.7% | 57.3% |
| 2014 | 85.4% | 55.8% |
| 2013 | 85.2% | 54.5% |
| 2012 | 84.9% | 53.1% |
| 2011 | 84.6% | 51.8% |
| 2010 | 84.3% | 49.2% |
| 2009 | 84.1% | 48.3% |
| 2008 | 83.8% | 47% |
| 2007 | 83.5% | 45.9% |
| 2006 | 83.3% | 44.3% |
| 2005 | 83% | 43% |
| 2004 | 82.7% | 41.8% |
| 2003 | 82.4% | 40.5% |
| 2002 | 82% | 39.1% |
| 2001 | 81.6% | 37.7% |
| 2000 | 81.1% | 36.4% |
| 1999 | 80.5% | 34.8% |
| 1998 | 79.8% | 33.4% |
| 1997 | 79% | 31.9% |
| 1996 | 78.3% | 30.5% |
| 1995 | 77.7% | 29% |
| 1994 | 77.2% | 28.5% |
| 1993 | 76.6% | 28% |
| 1992 | 76.1% | 27.5% |
| 1991 | 75.5% | 26.9% |
| 1990 | 74.9% | 26.2% |
| 1989 | 74.2% | 26.2% |
| 1988 | 73.6% | 25.8% |
| 1987 | 73% | 25.3% |
| 1986 | 72.3% | 24.5% |
| 1985 | 71.6% | 23.7% |
| 1984 | 70.9% | 23% |
| 1983 | 70.1% | 21.6% |
| 1982 | 69.3% | 20.6% |
| 1981 | 68.4% | 20.2% |
| 1980 | 67.4% | 19.4% |
| 1979 | 66.3% | 19% |
| 1978 | 65% | 17.9% |
| 1977 | 63.5% | 17.6% |
| 1976 | 61.9% | 17.4% |
| 1975 | 60.3% | 17.3% |
| 1974 | 58.7% | 17.2% |
| 1973 | 57.1% | 17.2% |
| 1972 | 55.7% | 17.1% |
| 1971 | 54.3% | 17.3% |
| 1970 | 53.2% | 17.4% |
| 1969 | 52.2% | 17.5% |
| 1968 | 51.2% | 17.6% |
| 1967 | 50.3% | 17.7% |
| 1966 | 49.5% | 17.9% |
| 1965 | 48.7% | 18% |
| 1964 | 47.9% | 18.3% |
| 1963 | 47.1% | 16.8% |
| 1962 | 46.3% | 17.3% |
| 1961 | 45.5% | 19.3% |
| 1960 | 44.7% | 19.7% |
Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2024, retrieved 2026-04-06).
GeoRank.org/population-density/brazil/china | CC BY
From 2004 to 2024, the share of urban population changed from 82.7% to 87.9% in Brazil and from 41.8% to 65.9% in China.
Densely populated cities
|
Brazil
|
|
|---|---|
| City | Population |
| Sao Paulo | 11.5M |
| Rio de Janeiro | 6.21M |
| Brasilia | 3M |
| Fortaleza | 2.58M |
| Salvador | 2.42M |
| Belo Horizonte | 2.32M |
| Manaus | 2.3M |
| Curitiba | 1.77M |
| Recife | 1.49M |
| Goiania | 1.44M |
|
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/brazil/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)
- Wikidata (2020–2025, retrieved 2026-02-08)
- Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2000–2019, retrieved 2026-02-20)
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