China has a population density of 389 people per square mile compared to 635 people in Sao Tome and Principe. China has 73,316 sq ft of land per person vs 45,745 sq ft in Sao Tome and Principe. In the list of countries ranked from the most to the least densely populated, China and Sao Tome and Principe are ranked 64th and 47th, 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 0.003% of the population and 0.0006% of the land area for Sao Tome and Principe, hence the population density in China is 38.8% lower than in Sao Tome and Principe.
Population density comparison
China
|
Sao Tome
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population density | 389 ppl/mi² | 635 ppl/mi² |
| Population density rank | 64/197 | 47/197 |
| Population |
1405773318
|
244055
|
| Land area | 3,624,808 sq mi | 371 sq mi |
| Land area per capita | 71,722 sq ft | 43,872 sq ft |
| Rural population | 34.5% | 23% |
| Urban population | 65.5% | 77% |
| Living in agglomerations of 1M+ people | 95.3% | 0% |
China vs Sao Tome and Principe:
Population density chart by year
From 2004 to 2024, population density in China increased by 8.71%, compared to a 49.4% growth in Sao Tome and Principe.
In 2004, China ranked 55th for population density and is in 64th place now. Sao Tome and Principe was 50th in 2004 and ranks 47th out of 197 currently.
people per square mile
| Year | Population density | |
|---|---|---|
|
China
|
Sao Tome
|
|
| 2024 | 389 | 635 |
| 2023 | 389 | 623 |
| 2022 | 390 | 611 |
| 2021 | 390 | 599 |
| 2020 | 389 | 587 |
| 2019 | 388 | 576 |
| 2018 | 387 | 567 |
| 2017 | 385 | 558 |
| 2016 | 383 | 550 |
| 2015 | 381 | 540 |
| 2014 | 378 | 531 |
| 2013 | 376 | 521 |
| 2012 | 374 | 511 |
| 2011 | 371 | 501 |
| 2010 | 369 | 490 |
| 2009 | 367 | 480 |
| 2008 | 365 | 469 |
| 2007 | 364 | 458 |
| 2006 | 362 | 447 |
| 2005 | 360 | 436 |
| 2004 | 358 | 425 |
| 2003 | 355 | 415 |
| 2002 | 353 | 404 |
| 2001 | 351 | 395 |
| 2000 | 348 | 389 |
| 1999 | 346 | 384 |
| 1998 | 343 | 380 |
| 1997 | 339 | 375 |
| 1996 | 336 | 370 |
| 1995 | 332 | 364 |
| 1994 | 329 | 358 |
| 1993 | 325 | 352 |
| 1992 | 321 | 346 |
| 1991 | 317 | 339 |
| 1990 | 313 | 332 |
| 1989 | 309 | 324 |
| 1988 | 304 | 315 |
| 1987 | 299.1 | 307 |
| 1986 | 294.3 | 299.9 |
| 1985 | 290 | 293.1 |
| 1984 | 286 | 287 |
| 1983 | 282.3 | 281.6 |
| 1982 | 278.3 | 276.6 |
| 1981 | 274.2 | 271.4 |
| 1980 | 270.7 | 265.9 |
| 1979 | 267.3 | 259.7 |
| 1978 | 263.8 | 253 |
| 1977 | 260.3 | 246.3 |
| 1976 | 256.8 | 239.9 |
| 1975 | 252.8 | 233.9 |
| 1974 | 248.4 | 228.4 |
| 1973 | 243.3 | 223.4 |
| 1972 | 237.8 | 218.6 |
| 1971 | 232 | 214 |
| 1970 | 225.8 | 209.4 |
| 1969 | 219.6 | 205.3 |
| 1968 | 213.7 | 201.7 |
| 1967 | 208.2 | 198.6 |
| 1966 | 202.9 | 195.8 |
| 1965 | 197.3 | 193.4 |
| 1964 | 192.7 | 191.2 |
| 1963 | 188.2 | 189.2 |
| 1962 | 183.7 | 187.2 |
| 1961 | 182.2 | 185.4 |
Share of urban population by year
| Year | Urban population | |
|---|---|---|
|
China
|
Sao Tome
|
|
| 2024 | 65.5% | 77% |
| 2023 | 64.6% | 76.4% |
| 2022 | 63.6% | 75.8% |
| 2021 | 62.5% | 75.1% |
| 2020 | 61.4% | 74.4% |
| 2019 | 60.3% | 73.6% |
| 2018 | 59.2% | 72.8% |
| 2017 | 58% | 72% |
| 2016 | 56.7% | 71.1% |
| 2015 | 55.5% | 70.2% |
| 2014 | 54.3% | 69.2% |
| 2013 | 53% | 68.2% |
| 2012 | 51.8% | 67.2% |
| 2011 | 50.5% | 66.1% |
| 2010 | 49.2% | 65% |
| 2009 | 47.9% | 63.8% |
| 2008 | 46.5% | 62.7% |
| 2007 | 45.2% | 61.5% |
| 2006 | 43.9% | 60.3% |
| 2005 | 42.5% | 59.2% |
| 2004 | 41.1% | 58% |
| 2003 | 39.8% | 56.8% |
| 2002 | 38.4% | 55.6% |
| 2001 | 37.1% | 54.4% |
| 2000 | 35.9% | 53.4% |
| 1999 | 34.9% | 52.5% |
| 1998 | 33.9% | 51.5% |
| 1997 | 32.9% | 50.5% |
| 1996 | 31.9% | 49.6% |
| 1995 | 31% | 48.6% |
| 1994 | 30% | 47.7% |
| 1993 | 29.1% | 46.7% |
| 1992 | 28.2% | 45.8% |
| 1991 | 27.3% | 44.8% |
| 1990 | 26.4% | 43.6% |
| 1989 | 25.7% | 42.5% |
| 1988 | 25% | 41.4% |
| 1987 | 24.3% | 40.3% |
| 1986 | 23.6% | 39.1% |
| 1985 | 22.9% | 38% |
| 1984 | 22.2% | 37% |
| 1983 | 21.5% | 35.9% |
| 1982 | 20.9% | 34.8% |
| 1981 | 20.1% | 33.9% |
| 1980 | 19.4% | 33.5% |
| 1979 | 18.6% | 33.1% |
| 1978 | 17.9% | 32.7% |
| 1977 | 17.5% | 32.4% |
| 1976 | 17.5% | 32% |
| 1975 | 17.4% | 31.6% |
| 1974 | 17.3% | 31.3% |
| 1973 | 17.2% | 30.9% |
| 1972 | 17.2% | 30.6% |
| 1971 | 17.3% | 30.2% |
| 1970 | 17.4% | 29.5% |
| 1969 | 17.5% | 27.9% |
| 1968 | 17.7% | 26.3% |
| 1967 | 17.8% | 24.7% |
| 1966 | 17.9% | 23.2% |
| 1965 | 18.1% | 21.8% |
| 1964 | 18.3% | 20.5% |
| 1963 | 17.8% | 19.2% |
| 1962 | 17.2% | 18% |
| 1961 | 16.7% | 16.8% |
| 1960 | 16.2% | 16.1% |
From 2004 to 2024 share of the urban population changed from 41.1% to 65.5% in China and from 58% to 77% in Sao Tome and Principe.
Densely populated cities
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Population density in other countries
people per square mile
Population density
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