El Salvador has a population density of 792 people per square mile compared to 136.7 people in South Africa. El Salvador has 35,733 sq ft of land per person vs 205,338 sq ft in South Africa. In the list of countries ranked from the most to the least densely populated, El Salvador and South Africa are ranked 33rd and 136th, 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 0.79% of the population and 0.81% of the land area for South Africa, hence the population density in El Salvador is 480% higher than in South Africa.
Population density comparison
El Salvador
|
South Africa
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population density | 792 ppl/mi² | 136.7 ppl/mi² |
| Population density rank | 33/197 | 136/197 |
| Population |
6386184
|
65314246
|
| Land area | 8,000 sq mi | 468,377 sq mi |
| Land area per capita | 35,188 sq ft | 204,002 sq ft |
| Rural population | 24% | 30.7% |
| Urban population | 76% | 69.3% |
| Living in agglomerations of 1M+ people | 0% | 14.8% |
El Salvador vs South Africa:
Population density chart by year
From 2004 to 2024, population density in El Salvador increased by 5.55%, compared to a 30.6% growth in South Africa.
In 2004, El Salvador ranked 27th for population density and is in 33rd place now. South Africa was 132nd in 2004 and ranks 136th out of 197 currently.
people per square mile
| Year | Population density | |
|---|---|---|
|
El Salvador
|
South Africa
|
|
| 2024 | 792 | 136.7 |
| 2023 | 789 | 135 |
| 2022 | 785 | 133.2 |
| 2021 | 782 | 131.3 |
| 2020 | 779 | 129.3 |
| 2019 | 778 | 127.2 |
| 2018 | 777 | 125.1 |
| 2017 | 777 | 123.1 |
| 2016 | 775 | 122.3 |
| 2015 | 773 | 121.1 |
| 2014 | 770 | 118.7 |
| 2013 | 767 | 116.7 |
| 2012 | 764 | 114.8 |
| 2011 | 761 | 113.1 |
| 2010 | 759 | 111.8 |
| 2009 | 756 | 110.4 |
| 2008 | 754 | 109.1 |
| 2007 | 751 | 107.9 |
| 2006 | 750 | 106.7 |
| 2005 | 751 | 105.7 |
| 2004 | 751 | 104.6 |
| 2003 | 750 | 103.5 |
| 2002 | 748 | 102.5 |
| 2001 | 746 | 101.6 |
| 2000 | 743 | 100.7 |
| 1999 | 739 | 99.8 |
| 1998 | 735 | 98.7 |
| 1997 | 731 | 97.5 |
| 1996 | 726 | 96.3 |
| 1995 | 720 | 95.1 |
| 1994 | 714 | 94 |
| 1993 | 707 | 92.4 |
| 1992 | 698 | 90.6 |
| 1991 | 687 | 89 |
| 1990 | 675 | 87 |
| 1989 | 662 | 84.6 |
| 1988 | 649 | 82.2 |
| 1987 | 637 | 79.7 |
| 1986 | 624 | 77.2 |
| 1985 | 612 | 74.8 |
| 1984 | 600 | 72.4 |
| 1983 | 588 | 69.9 |
| 1982 | 578 | 67.5 |
| 1981 | 571 | 65.2 |
| 1980 | 568 | 63 |
| 1979 | 560 | 61.1 |
| 1978 | 549 | 59.5 |
| 1977 | 538 | 57.9 |
| 1976 | 526 | 56.4 |
| 1975 | 512 | 54.9 |
| 1974 | 501 | 53.4 |
| 1973 | 489 | 51.9 |
| 1972 | 478 | 50.4 |
| 1971 | 467 | 49 |
| 1970 | 456 | 47.6 |
| 1969 | 444 | 46.1 |
| 1968 | 432 | 44.7 |
| 1967 | 421 | 43.4 |
| 1966 | 409 | 42 |
| 1965 | 397 | 40.8 |
| 1964 | 387 | 39.5 |
| 1963 | 376 | 38.3 |
| 1962 | 366 | 37.2 |
| 1961 | 357 | 36.1 |
Share of urban population by year
| Year | Urban population | |
|---|---|---|
|
El Salvador
|
South Africa
|
|
| 2024 | 76% | 69.3% |
| 2023 | 75.4% | 68.8% |
| 2022 | 74.8% | 68.3% |
| 2021 | 74.1% | 67.8% |
| 2020 | 73.4% | 67.4% |
| 2019 | 72.7% | 66.9% |
| 2018 | 72% | 66.4% |
| 2017 | 71.3% | 65.8% |
| 2016 | 70.5% | 65.3% |
| 2015 | 69.7% | 64.8% |
| 2014 | 68.9% | 64.3% |
| 2013 | 68% | 63.8% |
| 2012 | 67.2% | 63.3% |
| 2011 | 66.3% | 62.7% |
| 2010 | 65.5% | 62.2% |
| 2009 | 64.6% | 61.7% |
| 2008 | 63.7% | 61.2% |
| 2007 | 62.8% | 60.6% |
| 2006 | 62.2% | 60.1% |
| 2005 | 61.6% | 59.5% |
| 2004 | 61.1% | 59% |
| 2003 | 60.6% | 58.4% |
| 2002 | 60% | 57.9% |
| 2001 | 59.5% | 57.4% |
| 2000 | 58.9% | 56.9% |
| 1999 | 58.4% | 56.4% |
| 1998 | 57.8% | 55.9% |
| 1997 | 56.5% | 55.4% |
| 1996 | 55.3% | 55% |
| 1995 | 54% | 54.5% |
| 1994 | 52.7% | 54% |
| 1993 | 51.4% | 53.5% |
| 1992 | 50.3% | 53% |
| 1991 | 49.8% | 52.6% |
| 1990 | 49.3% | 52% |
| 1989 | 48.8% | 51.5% |
| 1988 | 48.2% | 51% |
| 1987 | 47.7% | 50.4% |
| 1986 | 47.2% | 49.9% |
| 1985 | 46.7% | 49.4% |
| 1984 | 46.2% | 49.1% |
| 1983 | 45.6% | 48.9% |
| 1982 | 45.1% | 48.8% |
| 1981 | 44.6% | 48.6% |
| 1980 | 44.1% | 48.4% |
| 1979 | 43.6% | 48.3% |
| 1978 | 43.1% | 48.3% |
| 1977 | 42.6% | 48.2% |
| 1976 | 42.1% | 48.2% |
| 1975 | 41.6% | 48.1% |
| 1974 | 41% | 48% |
| 1973 | 40.5% | 48% |
| 1972 | 40% | 47.9% |
| 1971 | 39.5% | 47.9% |
| 1970 | 39.4% | 47.8% |
| 1969 | 39.3% | 47.7% |
| 1968 | 39.2% | 47.6% |
| 1967 | 39.1% | 47.5% |
| 1966 | 39% | 47.4% |
| 1965 | 38.9% | 47.2% |
| 1964 | 38.8% | 47.1% |
| 1963 | 38.7% | 47% |
| 1962 | 38.6% | 46.9% |
| 1961 | 38.5% | 46.8% |
| 1960 | 38.4% | 46.6% |
From 2004 to 2024 share of the urban population changed from 61.1% to 76% in El Salvador and from 59% to 69.3% in South Africa.
Densely populated cities
|
El Salvador
|
|
|---|---|
| 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 |
|
South Africa
|
|
|---|---|
| City | Population |
| Johannesburg | 4.43M |
| Cape Town | 3.78M |
| Soweto | 1.27M |
| Pietermaritzburg | 839K |
| Pretoria | 742K |
| Durban | 595K |
| Rustenburg | 550K |
| Randburg | 337K |
| Port Elizabeth | 312K |
| East London | 267K |
Compare countries by 7 more topics
Population density in other countries
people per square mile
Population density
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