France has a population density of 329 people per square mile compared to 741 people in the United Kingdom. France has 101,141 sq ft of land per person vs 37,705 sq ft in the United Kingdom. In the list of countries ranked from the most to the least densely populated, France and the United Kingdom are ranked 75th and 35th, respectively.
Population density is calculated as the ratio of population to land area. France has 0.84% of the world's population and 0.36% of the land area of all countries, compared to 0.85% of the population and 0.16% of the land area for the United Kingdom, hence the population density in France is 55.6% lower than in the United Kingdom.
Population density comparison
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population density | 329 ppl/mi² | 741 ppl/mi² |
| Population density rank | 75/197 | 35/197 |
| Population |
68701054
|
69945462
|
| Land area | 208,090 sq mi | 93,410 sq mi |
| Land area per capita | 84,669 sq ft | 37,618 sq ft |
| Rural population | 18% | 15.1% |
| Urban population | 82% | 84.9% |
| Living in agglomerations of 1M+ people | 3.13% | 14.4% |
France vs the United Kingdom:
Population density chart by year
From 2004 to 2024, population density in France increased by 9.26%, compared to a 15.4% growth in the United Kingdom.
In 2004, France ranked 67th for population density and is in 75th place now. The United Kingdom was 35th in 2004 and still ranks 35th out of 197 currently.
people per square mile
| Year | Population density | |
|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
| 2024 | 329 | 741 |
| 2023 | 328 | 733 |
| 2022 | 327 | 724 |
| 2021 | 326 | 717 |
| 2020 | 325 | 715 |
| 2019 | 324 | 713 |
| 2018 | 323 | 710 |
| 2017 | 322 | 706 |
| 2016 | 321 | 702 |
| 2015 | 320 | 697 |
| 2014 | 319 | 692 |
| 2013 | 317 | 687 |
| 2012 | 316 | 682 |
| 2011 | 314 | 677 |
| 2010 | 312 | 672 |
| 2009 | 311 | 667 |
| 2008 | 309 | 662 |
| 2007 | 308 | 656 |
| 2006 | 306 | 651 |
| 2005 | 304 | 647 |
| 2004 | 301 | 642 |
| 2003 | 299.1 | 639 |
| 2002 | 297 | 636 |
| 2001 | 294.9 | 633 |
| 2000 | 292.8 | 630 |
| 1999 | 290.7 | 628 |
| 1998 | 289.3 | 626 |
| 1997 | 288.2 | 624 |
| 1996 | 287.2 | 623 |
| 1995 | 286.1 | 621 |
| 1994 | 285.1 | 619 |
| 1993 | 284 | 618 |
| 1992 | 282.8 | 616 |
| 1991 | 281.4 | 615 |
| 1990 | 280 | 613 |
| 1989 | 278.5 | 611 |
| 1988 | 276.8 | 609 |
| 1987 | 275.2 | 608 |
| 1986 | 273.7 | 607 |
| 1985 | 272.3 | 605 |
| 1984 | 271 | 604 |
| 1983 | 269.6 | 603 |
| 1982 | 268.2 | 603 |
| 1981 | 267.2 | 603 |
| 1980 | 265.6 | 603 |
| 1979 | 264.2 | 602 |
| 1978 | 263 | 602 |
| 1977 | 261.8 | 602 |
| 1976 | 260.6 | 602 |
| 1975 | 259.5 | 602 |
| 1974 | 258.3 | 602 |
| 1973 | 256.6 | 602 |
| 1972 | 254.5 | 600 |
| 1971 | 252.3 | 598 |
| 1970 | 249.9 | 596 |
| 1969 | 247.7 | 594 |
| 1968 | 245.6 | 591 |
| 1967 | 243.8 | 588 |
| 1966 | 241.8 | 585 |
| 1965 | 239.7 | 582 |
| 1964 | 237.4 | 578 |
| 1963 | 234.9 | 574 |
| 1962 | 232.5 | 570 |
| 1961 | 230.2 | 565 |
Share of urban population by year
| Year | Urban population | |
|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
| 2024 | 82% | 84.9% |
| 2023 | 81.8% | 84.6% |
| 2022 | 81.5% | 84.4% |
| 2021 | 81.2% | 84.2% |
| 2020 | 81% | 83.9% |
| 2019 | 80.7% | 83.7% |
| 2018 | 80.4% | 83.4% |
| 2017 | 80.2% | 83.1% |
| 2016 | 79.9% | 82.9% |
| 2015 | 79.7% | 82.6% |
| 2014 | 79.4% | 82.4% |
| 2013 | 79.1% | 82.1% |
| 2012 | 78.9% | 81.8% |
| 2011 | 78.6% | 81.6% |
| 2010 | 78.4% | 81.3% |
| 2009 | 78.1% | 81% |
| 2008 | 77.9% | 80.8% |
| 2007 | 77.6% | 80.5% |
| 2006 | 77.4% | 80.2% |
| 2005 | 77.1% | 79.9% |
| 2004 | 76.9% | 79.6% |
| 2003 | 76.6% | 79.3% |
| 2002 | 76.4% | 79% |
| 2001 | 76.1% | 78.8% |
| 2000 | 75.9% | 78.7% |
| 1999 | 75.6% | 78.6% |
| 1998 | 75.4% | 78.5% |
| 1997 | 75.3% | 78.5% |
| 1996 | 75.1% | 78.4% |
| 1995 | 74.9% | 78.4% |
| 1994 | 74.7% | 78.3% |
| 1993 | 74.6% | 78.2% |
| 1992 | 74.4% | 78.2% |
| 1991 | 74.2% | 78.1% |
| 1990 | 74.1% | 78.1% |
| 1989 | 73.9% | 78.2% |
| 1988 | 73.9% | 78.2% |
| 1987 | 73.8% | 78.3% |
| 1986 | 73.7% | 78.3% |
| 1985 | 73.6% | 78.4% |
| 1984 | 73.6% | 78.4% |
| 1983 | 73.5% | 78.5% |
| 1982 | 73.4% | 78.5% |
| 1981 | 73.4% | 78.6% |
| 1980 | 73.3% | 78.5% |
| 1979 | 73.2% | 78.3% |
| 1978 | 73.1% | 78.2% |
| 1977 | 73.1% | 78% |
| 1976 | 73% | 77.8% |
| 1975 | 72.9% | 77.7% |
| 1974 | 72.7% | 77.5% |
| 1973 | 72.3% | 77.4% |
| 1972 | 71.9% | 77.2% |
| 1971 | 71.5% | 77% |
| 1970 | 71.1% | 77.1% |
| 1969 | 70.6% | 77.3% |
| 1968 | 70.2% | 77.4% |
| 1967 | 69.4% | 77.5% |
| 1966 | 68.2% | 77.7% |
| 1965 | 67.1% | 77.8% |
| 1964 | 65.9% | 78% |
| 1963 | 64.7% | 78.1% |
| 1962 | 63.5% | 78.2% |
| 1961 | 62.6% | 78.4% |
| 1960 | 61.9% | 78.4% |
From 2004 to 2024 share of the urban population changed from 76.9% to 82% in France and from 79.6% to 84.9% in the United Kingdom.
Densely populated cities
|
|
|
|---|---|
| City | Population |
| Paris | 2.15M |
| Marseille | 877K |
| Lyon | 521K |
| Toulouse | 512K |
| Nice | 354K |
| Nantes | 325K |
| Strasbourg | 292K |
| Toulon | 181K |
| Saint-Etienne | 173K |
| Saint-Denis | 156K |
|
|
|
|---|---|
| City | Population |
| London | 8.8M |
| Birmingham | 1.14M |
| Glasgow | 626K |
| Manchester | 548K |
| Leeds | 536K |
| Sheffield | 518K |
| Liverpool | 513K |
| Edinburgh | 488K |
| Bristol | 472K |
| Leicester | 464K |
Compare countries by 7 more topics
Population density in other countries
people per square mile
Population density
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comparisons:
Population density comparisons