Lesotho has a population density of 199.4 people per square mile compared to 1,384 people in the Netherlands. Lesotho has 139,786 sq ft of land per person vs 22,359 sq ft in the Netherlands. In the list of countries ranked from the most to the least densely populated, Lesotho and the Netherlands are ranked 114th and 17th, respectively.
Population density is calculated as the ratio of population to land area. Lesotho has 0.03% of the world's population and 0.02% of the land area of all countries, compared to 0.22% of the population and 0.02% of the land area for the Netherlands, hence the population density in Lesotho is 85.6% lower than in the Netherlands.
Population density comparison
Lesotho
|
Netherlands
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population density | 199.4 ppl/mi² | 1,384 ppl/mi² |
| Population density rank | 114/197 | 17/197 |
| Population |
2384217
|
18191638
|
| Land area | 11,722 sq mi | 13,000 sq mi |
| Land area per capita | 139,809 sq ft | 20,141 sq ft |
| Rural population | 69.1% | 6.55% |
| Urban population | 30.9% | 93.5% |
| Living in agglomerations of 1M+ people | 0% | 0% |
Lesotho vs the Netherlands:
Population density chart by year
From 2004 to 2024, population density in Lesotho increased by 18.6%, compared to a 10.8% growth in the Netherlands.
In 2004, Lesotho ranked 107th for population density and is in 114th place now. The Netherlands was 15th in 2004 and ranks 17th out of 197 currently.
people per square mile
| Year | Population density | |
|---|---|---|
|
Lesotho
|
Netherlands
|
|
| 2024 | 199.4 | 1,384 |
| 2023 | 197.2 | 1,375 |
| 2022 | 195 | 1,362 |
| 2021 | 192.9 | 1,349 |
| 2020 | 190.7 | 1,342 |
| 2019 | 188.5 | 1,334 |
| 2018 | 186.3 | 1,326 |
| 2017 | 184 | 1,318 |
| 2016 | 181.7 | 1,310 |
| 2015 | 179.5 | 1,303 |
| 2014 | 177.5 | 1,297 |
| 2013 | 175.4 | 1,292 |
| 2012 | 173.5 | 1,287 |
| 2011 | 171.8 | 1,282 |
| 2010 | 170.3 | 1,276 |
| 2009 | 169 | 1,269 |
| 2008 | 167.8 | 1,262 |
| 2007 | 166.6 | 1,257 |
| 2006 | 165.9 | 1,254 |
| 2005 | 166.6 | 1,252 |
| 2004 | 168.2 | 1,249 |
| 2003 | 169.3 | 1,245 |
| 2002 | 170.2 | 1,239 |
| 2001 | 170.7 | 1,231 |
| 2000 | 171 | 1,222 |
| 1999 | 170.9 | 1,213 |
| 1998 | 170.5 | 1,205 |
| 1997 | 169.6 | 1,198 |
| 1996 | 168.3 | 1,191 |
| 1995 | 166.5 | 1,186 |
| 1994 | 164.5 | 1,180 |
| 1993 | 162.2 | 1,173 |
| 1992 | 159.8 | 1,165 |
| 1991 | 157.2 | 1,156 |
| 1990 | 154.4 | 1,147 |
| 1989 | 151.5 | 1,139 |
| 1988 | 148.4 | 1,132 |
| 1987 | 145.3 | 1,125 |
| 1986 | 142.1 | 1,118 |
| 1985 | 138.6 | 1,112 |
| 1984 | 134.7 | 1,107 |
| 1983 | 130.9 | 1,102 |
| 1982 | 127.2 | 1,098 |
| 1981 | 123.5 | 1,093 |
| 1980 | 120 | 1,086 |
| 1979 | 116.5 | 1,077 |
| 1978 | 113.2 | 1,070 |
| 1977 | 110 | 1,063 |
| 1976 | 106.9 | 1,057 |
| 1975 | 103.5 | 1,048 |
| 1974 | 100 | 1,039 |
| 1973 | 96.6 | 1,031 |
| 1972 | 93.3 | 1,023 |
| 1971 | 90.1 | 1,012 |
| 1970 | 87 | 1,000 |
| 1969 | 83.9 | 988 |
| 1968 | 80.9 | 977 |
| 1967 | 78 | 967 |
| 1966 | 75.2 | 956 |
| 1965 | 72.9 | 943 |
| 1964 | 70.8 | 930 |
| 1963 | 68.7 | 918 |
| 1962 | 66.7 | 906 |
| 1961 | 64.7 | 893 |
Share of urban population by year
| Year | Urban population | |
|---|---|---|
|
Lesotho
|
Netherlands
|
|
| 2024 | 30.9% | 93.5% |
| 2023 | 30.4% | 93.2% |
| 2022 | 29.9% | 92.9% |
| 2021 | 29.5% | 92.6% |
| 2020 | 29% | 92.2% |
| 2019 | 28.6% | 91.9% |
| 2018 | 28.2% | 91.5% |
| 2017 | 27.7% | 91.1% |
| 2016 | 27.3% | 90.6% |
| 2015 | 26.9% | 90.2% |
| 2014 | 26.5% | 89.7% |
| 2013 | 26.1% | 89.2% |
| 2012 | 25.7% | 88.6% |
| 2011 | 25.3% | 87.9% |
| 2010 | 24.8% | 87.1% |
| 2009 | 24.3% | 86.3% |
| 2008 | 23.8% | 85.4% |
| 2007 | 23.3% | 84.5% |
| 2006 | 22.8% | 83.6% |
| 2005 | 22.2% | 82.6% |
| 2004 | 21.7% | 81.5% |
| 2003 | 21.1% | 80.3% |
| 2002 | 20.6% | 79.1% |
| 2001 | 20.1% | 77.8% |
| 2000 | 19.5% | 76.8% |
| 1999 | 19% | 76% |
| 1998 | 18.5% | 75.3% |
| 1997 | 18% | 74.5% |
| 1996 | 17.6% | 73.6% |
| 1995 | 17% | 72.8% |
| 1994 | 16.3% | 72% |
| 1993 | 15.7% | 71.1% |
| 1992 | 15.1% | 70.2% |
| 1991 | 14.5% | 69.3% |
| 1990 | 14% | 68.7% |
| 1989 | 13.4% | 68.3% |
| 1988 | 12.9% | 67.9% |
| 1987 | 12.4% | 67.5% |
| 1986 | 11.9% | 67.1% |
| 1985 | 11.8% | 66.7% |
| 1984 | 11.7% | 66.3% |
| 1983 | 11.6% | 65.9% |
| 1982 | 11.6% | 65.5% |
| 1981 | 11.5% | 65.1% |
| 1980 | 11.5% | 64.7% |
| 1979 | 11.4% | 64.4% |
| 1978 | 11.3% | 64.1% |
| 1977 | 11.3% | 63.8% |
| 1976 | 11.2% | 63.5% |
| 1975 | 10.8% | 63.2% |
| 1974 | 10.4% | 62.9% |
| 1973 | 9.91% | 62.6% |
| 1972 | 9.47% | 62.2% |
| 1971 | 9.04% | 61.9% |
| 1970 | 8.61% | 61.7% |
| 1969 | 8.2% | 61.5% |
| 1968 | 7.8% | 61.3% |
| 1967 | 7.42% | 61.1% |
| 1966 | 7.06% | 60.9% |
| 1965 | 6.37% | 60.8% |
| 1964 | 5.66% | 60.6% |
| 1963 | 5.03% | 60.4% |
| 1962 | 4.46% | 60.2% |
| 1961 | 3.96% | 60% |
| 1960 | 3.51% | 59.8% |
From 2004 to 2024 share of the urban population changed from 21.7% to 30.9% in Lesotho and from 81.5% to 93.5% in the Netherlands.
Densely populated cities
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