Papua New Guinea has a population density of 62.6 people per square mile compared to 661 people in Sao Tome and Principe. Papua New Guinea has 471,041 sq ft of land per person vs 45,745 sq ft in Sao Tome and Principe. Papua New Guinea and Sao Tome and Principe rank 165th and 46th by population density, respectively.
Population density is calculated as the ratio of population to land area. Papua New Guinea has 0.13% of the world's population and 0.3% of all countries' land area, compared to 0.003% of the population and 0.0006% of the land area for Sao Tome and Principe, making the population density in Papua New Guinea 90.5% lower than in Sao Tome and Principe.
Population density by year
people per square mile
| Year | Population density | |
|---|---|---|
Papua New Guinea
|
Sao Tome
|
|
| 2026 | 62.6 | 661 |
| 2025 | 61.6 | 648 |
| 2024 | 60.5 | 635 |
| 2023 | 59.4 | 623 |
| 2022 | 58.4 | 611 |
| 2021 | 57.3 | 599 |
| 2020 | 56.1 | 587 |
| 2019 | 55 | 576 |
| 2018 | 53.7 | 567 |
| 2017 | 52.5 | 558 |
| 2016 | 51.3 | 550 |
| 2015 | 50 | 540 |
| 2014 | 48.7 | 531 |
| 2013 | 47.5 | 521 |
| 2012 | 46.2 | 511 |
| 2011 | 44.9 | 501 |
| 2010 | 43.7 | 490 |
| 2009 | 42.4 | 480 |
| 2008 | 41.1 | 469 |
| 2007 | 39.8 | 458 |
| 2006 | 38.6 | 447 |
| 2005 | 37.4 | 436 |
| 2004 | 36.2 | 425 |
| 2003 | 35 | 415 |
| 2002 | 33.9 | 404 |
| 2001 | 32.8 | 395 |
| 2000 | 31.7 | 389 |
| 1999 | 30.6 | 384 |
| 1998 | 29.5 | 380 |
| 1997 | 28.5 | 375 |
| 1996 | 27.5 | 370 |
| 1995 | 26.6 | 364 |
| 1994 | 25.6 | 358 |
| 1993 | 24.7 | 352 |
| 1992 | 23.8 | 346 |
| 1991 | 23 | 339 |
| 1990 | 22.3 | 332 |
| 1989 | 21.7 | 324 |
| 1988 | 21.2 | 315 |
| 1987 | 20.8 | 307 |
| 1986 | 20.3 | 299.9 |
| 1985 | 19.9 | 293.1 |
| 1984 | 19.5 | 287 |
| 1983 | 19.1 | 281.6 |
| 1982 | 18.7 | 276.6 |
| 1981 | 18.3 | 271.4 |
| 1980 | 17.9 | 265.9 |
| 1979 | 17.5 | 259.7 |
| 1978 | 17.2 | 253 |
| 1977 | 16.8 | 246.3 |
| 1976 | 16.5 | 239.9 |
| 1975 | 16.1 | 233.9 |
| 1974 | 15.7 | 228.4 |
| 1973 | 15.4 | 223.4 |
| 1972 | 15 | 218.6 |
| 1971 | 14.7 | 214 |
| 1970 | 14.3 | 209.4 |
| 1969 | 14 | 205.3 |
| 1968 | 13.7 | 201.7 |
| 1967 | 13.4 | 198.6 |
| 1966 | 13.1 | 195.8 |
| 1965 | 12.8 | 193.4 |
| 1964 | 12.5 | 191.2 |
| 1963 | 12.2 | 189.2 |
| 1962 | 12 | 187.2 |
| 1961 | 11.7 | 185.4 |
Data sources: World Bank | Agriculture & Rural Development (1961–2026, retrieved 2026-04-06); United Nations | World Population Prospects (2025–2026, retrieved 2026-03-10).
GeoRank.org/population-density/papua-new-guinea/sao-tome-and-principe | CC BY 
From 2006 to 2026, population density in Papua New Guinea increased by 62.3%, compared to a 48% growth in Sao Tome and Principe.
In 2006, Papua New Guinea ranked 167th by population density and is 165th now. Sao Tome and Principe was 50th in 2006 and ranks 46th out of 197 currently.
Population density comparison
|
Papua New Guinea
|
Sao Tome
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population density | 62.6 ppl/mi² | 661 ppl/mi² |
| Population density rank | 165/197 | 46/197 |
| Population |
11002753
|
246362
|
| Land area | 174,850 sq mi | 371 sq mi |
| Land area per capita | 460,884 sq ft | 43,872 sq ft |
| Rural population | 84.6% | 31.1% |
| Urban population | 15.4% | 68.9% |
| Living in agglomerations of 1M+ people | 0% | 0% |
Share of urban population by year
| Year | Urban population | |
|---|---|---|
|
Papua New Guinea
|
Sao Tome
|
|
| 2024 | 15.4% | 68.9% |
| 2023 | 15.1% | 68.6% |
| 2022 | 14.7% | 68.4% |
| 2021 | 14.4% | 68.2% |
| 2020 | 14.2% | 68% |
| 2019 | 13.9% | 67.9% |
| 2018 | 13.7% | 67.8% |
| 2017 | 13.5% | 67.7% |
| 2016 | 13.4% | 67.5% |
| 2015 | 13.2% | 67.4% |
| 2014 | 13.1% | 67.3% |
| 2013 | 13.1% | 67.1% |
| 2012 | 13% | 67% |
| 2011 | 13% | 66.7% |
| 2010 | 13% | 66.1% |
| 2009 | 13% | 65.1% |
| 2008 | 13% | 63.9% |
| 2007 | 13% | 62.5% |
| 2006 | 13% | 61% |
| 2005 | 13.1% | 59.4% |
| 2004 | 13.1% | 57.9% |
| 2003 | 13.1% | 56.4% |
| 2002 | 13.2% | 55.1% |
| 2001 | 13.2% | 54% |
| 2000 | 13.2% | 53% |
| 1999 | 13.3% | 52% |
| 1998 | 13.5% | 51.1% |
| 1997 | 13.7% | 50.2% |
| 1996 | 14% | 49.4% |
| 1995 | 14.4% | 48.5% |
| 1994 | 14.7% | 47.6% |
| 1993 | 14.9% | 46.7% |
| 1992 | 15.2% | 45.8% |
| 1991 | 15.3% | 44.8% |
| 1990 | 15.4% | 43.7% |
| 1989 | 15.3% | 42.5% |
| 1988 | 15.1% | 41.3% |
| 1987 | 14.8% | 40% |
| 1986 | 14.5% | 38.7% |
| 1985 | 14.2% | 37.5% |
| 1984 | 13.8% | 36.3% |
| 1983 | 13.5% | 35.3% |
| 1982 | 13.3% | 34.5% |
| 1981 | 13.1% | 33.8% |
| 1980 | 13.1% | 33.3% |
| 1979 | 13.1% | 32.9% |
| 1978 | 13.1% | 32.6% |
| 1977 | 13.1% | 32.3% |
| 1976 | 13.1% | 32.1% |
| 1975 | 13% | 31.8% |
| 1974 | 12.7% | 31.5% |
| 1973 | 12.2% | 31.2% |
| 1972 | 11.7% | 30.8% |
| 1971 | 11.1% | 30.4% |
| 1970 | 10.2% | 29.8% |
| 1969 | 9.05% | 28.8% |
| 1968 | 7.77% | 27.4% |
| 1967 | 6.63% | 25.7% |
| 1966 | 5.88% | 23.8% |
| 1965 | 5.42% | 21.9% |
| 1964 | 4.98% | 20% |
| 1963 | 4.57% | 18.3% |
| 1962 | 4.17% | 16.9% |
| 1961 | 3.81% | 15.9% |
| 1960 | 3.46% | 15.4% |
Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2024, retrieved 2026-04-06).
GeoRank.org/population-density/papua-new-guinea/sao-tome-and-principe | CC BY
From 2004 to 2024, the share of urban population changed from 13.1% to 15.4% in Papua New Guinea and from 57.9% to 68.9% in Sao Tome and Principe.
Densely populated cities
|
Papua New Guinea
|
|
|---|---|
| City | Population |
| Port Moresby | 317K |
| Lae | 101K |
Compare countries by 7 more topics
Population density in other countries
Data sources: World Bank | Agriculture & Rural Development (1961–2026, retrieved 2026-04-06); United Nations | World Population Prospects (1961–2026, retrieved 2026-03-10); U.S. Census Bureau (1961–2025, retrieved 2026-02-08); Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2000–2019, retrieved 2026-02-20).
GeoRank.org/population-density/papua-new-guinea/sao-tome-and-principe | CC BY
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Data sources:
- World Bank | Agriculture & Rural Development (1961–2026, retrieved 2026-04-06)
- United Nations | World Population Prospects (1961–2026, retrieved 2026-03-10)
- U.S. Census Bureau (1961–2025, retrieved 2026-02-08)
- Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2000–2019, retrieved 2026-02-20)
- Wikidata (2012–2024, retrieved 2026-02-08)
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