China has a population density of 389 people per square mile compared to 146.2 people in Iran. China has 73,316 sq ft of land per person vs 193,748 sq ft in Iran. In the list of countries ranked from the most to the least densely populated, China and Iran are ranked 64th and 133rd, respectively.
Population density is calculated as the ratio of population to land area. China has 17.3% of the world's population and 6.3% of the land area of all countries, compared to 1.12% of the population and 1.09% of the land area for Iran, hence the population density in China is 165.9% higher than in Iran.
Population density comparison
China
|
Iran
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population density | 389 ppl/mi² | 146.2 ppl/mi² |
| Population density rank | 64/197 | 133/197 |
| Population |
1405773318
|
93020793
|
| Land area | 3,624,808 sq mi | 626,451 sq mi |
| Land area per capita | 71,722 sq ft | 190,727 sq ft |
| Rural population | 34.5% | 22.3% |
| Urban population | 65.5% | 77.7% |
| Living in agglomerations of 1M+ people | 95.3% | 22.7% |
China vs Iran:
Population density chart by year
From 2004 to 2024, population density in China increased by 8.71%, compared to a 30.8% growth in Iran.
In 2004, China ranked 55th for population density and is in 64th place now. Iran was 128th in 2004 and ranks 133rd out of 197 currently.
people per square mile
| Year | Population density | |
|---|---|---|
|
China
|
Iran
|
|
| 2024 | 389 | 146.2 |
| 2023 | 389 | 144.6 |
| 2022 | 390 | 142.9 |
| 2021 | 390 | 141.2 |
| 2020 | 389 | 140 |
| 2019 | 388 | 139 |
| 2018 | 387 | 137.5 |
| 2017 | 385 | 135.7 |
| 2016 | 383 | 133.3 |
| 2015 | 381 | 131.4 |
| 2014 | 378 | 129.6 |
| 2013 | 376 | 127.9 |
| 2012 | 374 | 126.2 |
| 2011 | 371 | 124.6 |
| 2010 | 369 | 123.1 |
| 2009 | 367 | 121.6 |
| 2008 | 365 | 120.1 |
| 2007 | 364 | 118.6 |
| 2006 | 362 | 116.7 |
| 2005 | 360 | 114.2 |
| 2004 | 358 | 111.7 |
| 2003 | 355 | 109.4 |
| 2002 | 353 | 108.1 |
| 2001 | 351 | 107.3 |
| 2000 | 348 | 105.6 |
| 1999 | 346 | 104.1 |
| 1998 | 343 | 102.6 |
| 1997 | 339 | 101.2 |
| 1996 | 336 | 100 |
| 1995 | 332 | 98.9 |
| 1994 | 329 | 97.8 |
| 1993 | 325 | 97.6 |
| 1992 | 321 | 97.3 |
| 1991 | 317 | 95.4 |
| 1990 | 313 | 92.8 |
| 1989 | 309 | 90.2 |
| 1988 | 304 | 87.6 |
| 1987 | 299.1 | 84.8 |
| 1986 | 294.3 | 81.8 |
| 1985 | 290 | 78.8 |
| 1984 | 286 | 76 |
| 1983 | 282.3 | 73.2 |
| 1982 | 278.3 | 70.4 |
| 1981 | 274.2 | 66.8 |
| 1980 | 270.7 | 63.4 |
| 1979 | 267.3 | 61.1 |
| 1978 | 263.8 | 59 |
| 1977 | 260.3 | 57.1 |
| 1976 | 256.8 | 55.4 |
| 1975 | 252.8 | 53.8 |
| 1974 | 248.4 | 52.2 |
| 1973 | 243.3 | 50.6 |
| 1972 | 237.8 | 49.2 |
| 1971 | 232 | 47.8 |
| 1970 | 225.8 | 46.3 |
| 1969 | 219.6 | 45 |
| 1968 | 213.7 | 43.6 |
| 1967 | 208.2 | 42.3 |
| 1966 | 202.9 | 41.1 |
| 1965 | 197.3 | 39.8 |
| 1964 | 192.7 | 38.6 |
| 1963 | 188.2 | 37.4 |
| 1962 | 183.7 | 36.3 |
| 1961 | 182.2 | 35.2 |
Share of urban population by year
| Year | Urban population | |
|---|---|---|
|
China
|
Iran
|
|
| 2024 | 65.5% | 77.7% |
| 2023 | 64.6% | 77.3% |
| 2022 | 63.6% | 76.8% |
| 2021 | 62.5% | 76.3% |
| 2020 | 61.4% | 75.9% |
| 2019 | 60.3% | 75.4% |
| 2018 | 59.2% | 74.9% |
| 2017 | 58% | 74.4% |
| 2016 | 56.7% | 73.9% |
| 2015 | 55.5% | 73.4% |
| 2014 | 54.3% | 72.8% |
| 2013 | 53% | 72.3% |
| 2012 | 51.8% | 71.8% |
| 2011 | 50.5% | 71.2% |
| 2010 | 49.2% | 70.6% |
| 2009 | 47.9% | 70% |
| 2008 | 46.5% | 69.5% |
| 2007 | 45.2% | 68.9% |
| 2006 | 43.9% | 68.2% |
| 2005 | 42.5% | 67.6% |
| 2004 | 41.1% | 66.9% |
| 2003 | 39.8% | 66.2% |
| 2002 | 38.4% | 65.5% |
| 2001 | 37.1% | 64.8% |
| 2000 | 35.9% | 64% |
| 1999 | 34.9% | 63.3% |
| 1998 | 33.9% | 62.6% |
| 1997 | 32.9% | 61.9% |
| 1996 | 31.9% | 61.1% |
| 1995 | 31% | 60.2% |
| 1994 | 30% | 59.4% |
| 1993 | 29.1% | 58.5% |
| 1992 | 28.2% | 57.7% |
| 1991 | 27.3% | 56.9% |
| 1990 | 26.4% | 56.3% |
| 1989 | 25.7% | 55.8% |
| 1988 | 25% | 55.3% |
| 1987 | 24.3% | 54.7% |
| 1986 | 23.6% | 54.1% |
| 1985 | 22.9% | 53.4% |
| 1984 | 22.2% | 52.7% |
| 1983 | 21.5% | 51.9% |
| 1982 | 20.9% | 51.2% |
| 1981 | 20.1% | 50.4% |
| 1980 | 19.4% | 49.7% |
| 1979 | 18.6% | 49% |
| 1978 | 17.9% | 48.2% |
| 1977 | 17.5% | 47.5% |
| 1976 | 17.5% | 46.7% |
| 1975 | 17.4% | 45.7% |
| 1974 | 17.3% | 44.8% |
| 1973 | 17.2% | 43.9% |
| 1972 | 17.2% | 43% |
| 1971 | 17.3% | 42.1% |
| 1970 | 17.4% | 41.2% |
| 1969 | 17.5% | 40.3% |
| 1968 | 17.7% | 39.4% |
| 1967 | 17.8% | 38.6% |
| 1966 | 17.9% | 37.8% |
| 1965 | 18.1% | 37.1% |
| 1964 | 18.3% | 36.4% |
| 1963 | 17.8% | 35.7% |
| 1962 | 17.2% | 35.1% |
| 1961 | 16.7% | 34.4% |
| 1960 | 16.2% | 33.7% |
From 2004 to 2024 share of the urban population changed from 41.1% to 65.5% in China and from 66.9% to 77.7% in Iran.
Densely populated cities
Compare countries by 7 more topics
Population density in other countries
people per square mile
Population density
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