El Salvador has a population density of 792 people per square mile compared to 174.4 people in Mexico. El Salvador has 35,733 sq ft of land per person vs 162,251 sq ft in Mexico. In the list of countries ranked from the most to the least densely populated, El Salvador and Mexico are ranked 33rd and 123rd, respectively.
Population density is calculated as the ratio of population to land area. El Salvador has 0.08% of the world's population and 0.01% of the land area of all countries, compared to 1.61% of the population and 1.31% of the land area for Mexico, hence the population density in El Salvador is 354% higher than in Mexico.
Population density comparison
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population density | 792 ppl/mi² | 174.4 ppl/mi² |
| Population density rank | 33/197 | 123/197 |
| Population |
6386184
|
132790957
|
| Land area | 8,000 sq mi | 750,563 sq mi |
| Land area per capita | 35,188 sq ft | 159,899 sq ft |
| Rural population | 24% | 18.1% |
| Urban population | 76% | 81.9% |
| Living in agglomerations of 1M+ people | 0% | 17.3% |
El Salvador vs Mexico:
Population density chart by year
From 2004 to 2024, population density in El Salvador increased by 5.55%, compared to a 25.4% growth in Mexico.
In 2004, El Salvador ranked 27th for population density and is in 33rd place now. Mexico was 120th in 2004 and ranks 123rd out of 197 currently.
people per square mile
| Year | Population density | |
|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
| 2024 | 792 | 174.4 |
| 2023 | 789 | 172.9 |
| 2022 | 785 | 171.4 |
| 2021 | 782 | 170.1 |
| 2020 | 779 | 168.9 |
| 2019 | 778 | 167.6 |
| 2018 | 777 | 166 |
| 2017 | 777 | 164.4 |
| 2016 | 775 | 162.9 |
| 2015 | 773 | 161.3 |
| 2014 | 770 | 159.6 |
| 2013 | 767 | 157.7 |
| 2012 | 764 | 155.6 |
| 2011 | 761 | 153.5 |
| 2010 | 759 | 151.4 |
| 2009 | 756 | 149.2 |
| 2008 | 754 | 147.1 |
| 2007 | 751 | 144.9 |
| 2006 | 750 | 142.9 |
| 2005 | 751 | 141 |
| 2004 | 751 | 139.1 |
| 2003 | 750 | 137.2 |
| 2002 | 748 | 135.3 |
| 2001 | 746 | 133.4 |
| 2000 | 743 | 131.4 |
| 1999 | 739 | 129.4 |
| 1998 | 735 | 127.3 |
| 1997 | 731 | 125.3 |
| 1996 | 726 | 123.2 |
| 1995 | 720 | 121.1 |
| 1994 | 714 | 118.9 |
| 1993 | 707 | 116.8 |
| 1992 | 698 | 114.6 |
| 1991 | 687 | 112.5 |
| 1990 | 675 | 110.3 |
| 1989 | 662 | 108.2 |
| 1988 | 649 | 106.2 |
| 1987 | 637 | 104.1 |
| 1986 | 624 | 102 |
| 1985 | 612 | 100 |
| 1984 | 600 | 97.9 |
| 1983 | 588 | 95.9 |
| 1982 | 578 | 93.8 |
| 1981 | 571 | 91.8 |
| 1980 | 568 | 89.7 |
| 1979 | 560 | 87.5 |
| 1978 | 549 | 85.2 |
| 1977 | 538 | 83 |
| 1976 | 526 | 80.8 |
| 1975 | 512 | 78.6 |
| 1974 | 501 | 76.4 |
| 1973 | 489 | 74.2 |
| 1972 | 478 | 72 |
| 1971 | 467 | 69.8 |
| 1970 | 456 | 67.7 |
| 1969 | 444 | 65.6 |
| 1968 | 432 | 63.5 |
| 1967 | 421 | 61.5 |
| 1966 | 409 | 59.5 |
| 1965 | 397 | 57.5 |
| 1964 | 387 | 55.7 |
| 1963 | 376 | 53.9 |
| 1962 | 366 | 52.1 |
| 1961 | 357 | 50.5 |
Share of urban population by year
| Year | Urban population | |
|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
| 2024 | 76% | 81.9% |
| 2023 | 75.4% | 81.6% |
| 2022 | 74.8% | 81.3% |
| 2021 | 74.1% | 81% |
| 2020 | 73.4% | 80.7% |
| 2019 | 72.7% | 80.4% |
| 2018 | 72% | 80.2% |
| 2017 | 71.3% | 79.9% |
| 2016 | 70.5% | 79.6% |
| 2015 | 69.7% | 79.3% |
| 2014 | 68.9% | 79% |
| 2013 | 68% | 78.7% |
| 2012 | 67.2% | 78.4% |
| 2011 | 66.3% | 78.1% |
| 2010 | 65.5% | 77.8% |
| 2009 | 64.6% | 77.5% |
| 2008 | 63.7% | 77.2% |
| 2007 | 62.8% | 76.9% |
| 2006 | 62.2% | 76.6% |
| 2005 | 61.6% | 76.3% |
| 2004 | 61.1% | 76% |
| 2003 | 60.6% | 75.7% |
| 2002 | 60% | 75.4% |
| 2001 | 59.5% | 75% |
| 2000 | 58.9% | 74.7% |
| 1999 | 58.4% | 74.4% |
| 1998 | 57.8% | 74.2% |
| 1997 | 56.5% | 73.9% |
| 1996 | 55.3% | 73.7% |
| 1995 | 54% | 73.4% |
| 1994 | 52.7% | 73% |
| 1993 | 51.4% | 72.6% |
| 1992 | 50.3% | 72.2% |
| 1991 | 49.8% | 71.8% |
| 1990 | 49.3% | 71.4% |
| 1989 | 48.8% | 71% |
| 1988 | 48.2% | 70.5% |
| 1987 | 47.7% | 70% |
| 1986 | 47.2% | 69.5% |
| 1985 | 46.7% | 69% |
| 1984 | 46.2% | 68.4% |
| 1983 | 45.6% | 67.9% |
| 1982 | 45.1% | 67.4% |
| 1981 | 44.6% | 66.9% |
| 1980 | 44.1% | 66.3% |
| 1979 | 43.6% | 65.6% |
| 1978 | 43.1% | 64.9% |
| 1977 | 42.6% | 64.2% |
| 1976 | 42.1% | 63.5% |
| 1975 | 41.6% | 62.8% |
| 1974 | 41% | 62% |
| 1973 | 40.5% | 61.3% |
| 1972 | 40% | 60.5% |
| 1971 | 39.5% | 59.8% |
| 1970 | 39.4% | 59% |
| 1969 | 39.3% | 58.2% |
| 1968 | 39.2% | 57.4% |
| 1967 | 39.1% | 56.6% |
| 1966 | 39% | 55.8% |
| 1965 | 38.9% | 54.9% |
| 1964 | 38.8% | 54.1% |
| 1963 | 38.7% | 53.3% |
| 1962 | 38.6% | 52.4% |
| 1961 | 38.5% | 51.6% |
| 1960 | 38.4% | 50.8% |
From 2004 to 2024 share of the urban population changed from 61.1% to 76% in El Salvador and from 76% to 81.9% in Mexico.
Densely populated cities
|
|
|
|---|---|
| City | Population |
| San Salvador | 331K |
| Santa Ana | 251K |
| San Miguel | 233K |
| Soyapango | 230K |
| Mejicanos | 137K |
| Apopa | 129K |
| Ahuachapan | 127K |
| Santa Tecla | 126K |
| Sonsonate | 72.2K |
| Usulutan | 66.1K |
|
|
|
|---|---|
| City | Population |
| Mexico | 9.21M |
| Tijuana | 1.96M |
| Ecatepec de Morelos | 1.93M |
| Leon | 1.58M |
| Zapopan | 1.48M |
| Guadalajara | 1.46M |
| Puebla | 1.43M |
| Ciudad Juarez | 1.32M |
| Monterrey | 1.14M |
| Ciudad Nezahualcoyotl | 1.07M |
Compare countries by 7 more topics
Population density in other countries
people per square mile
Population density
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