Skip to content

Population density: Portugal vs South Korea compared

Updated on by Georank team

Portugal has a population density of 302 people per square mile compared to 1,371 people in South Korea. Portugal has 92,822 sq ft of land per person vs 20,861 sq ft in South Korea. Portugal and South Korea rank 81st and 18th by population density, respectively.

Population density is calculated as the ratio of population to land area. Portugal has 0.13% of the world's population and 0.06% of all countries' land area, compared to 0.64% of the population and 0.07% of the land area for South Korea, making the population density in Portugal 78% lower than in South Korea.

Population density by year

Portugal
South Korea

people per square mile

1x
Year Population density
Portugal South Korea
2026 302 1,371
2025 302 1,372
2024 302 1,373
2023 299.1 1,372
2022 295 1,371
2021 293 1,374
2020 291.1 1,376
2019 290.8 1,374
2018 290.8 1,370
2017 291.2 1,364
2016 291.9 1,361
2015 292.9 1,356
2014 294.1 1,349
2013 295.7 1,341
2012 297.3 1,336
2011 298.5 1,331
2010 299 1,320
2009 298.8 1,316
2008 299 1,310
2007 298.5 1,301
2006 297.9 1,295
2005 297.4 1,289
2004 296.8 1,286
2003 296 1,281
2002 294.9 1,275
2001 293.3 1,268
2000 291.3 1,262
1999 289.2 1,252
1998 287.6 1,243
1997 286.1 1,234
1996 284.9 1,222
1995 283.8 1,211
1994 282.8 1,199
1993 282.1 1,187
1992 281.7 1,175
1991 281.9 1,163
1990 282.6 1,151
1989 283.2 1,140
1988 283.6 1,129
1987 283.9 1,118
1986 284 1,107
1985 283.7 1,096
1984 283 1,085
1983 281.9 1,072
1982 280.6 1,056
1981 278.9 1,040
1980 276.4 1,024
1979 273.5 1,008
1978 270.6 993
1977 267.7 978
1976 264.8 963
1975 257.4 947
1974 247.8 932
1973 244.4 916
1972 244.3 900
1971 244.7 883
1970 245.7 866
1969 247.9 847
1968 250.1 828
1967 251.2 809
1966 252.8 790
1965 254.7 771
1964 255.8 751
1963 255.6 732
1962 254.6 712
1961 252.8 692

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/portugal/south-korea | CC BY

From 2006 to 2026, population density in Portugal increased by 1.23%, compared to a 5.84% growth in South Korea.

In 2006, Portugal ranked 68th by population density and is 81st now. South Korea was 14th in 2006 and ranks 18th out of 197 currently.

Share of urban population by year

Portugal
South Korea
1x
Year Urban population
Portugal South Korea
2024 61.3% 81.2%
2023 61.2% 81.2%
2022 61.1% 81.2%
2021 61.1% 81.2%
2020 61.1% 81.2%
2019 61.1% 81.3%
2018 61.1% 81.4%
2017 61.1% 81.5%
2016 61.1% 81.6%
2015 61.1% 81.6%
2014 61.1% 81.7%
2013 61.1% 81.8%
2012 61.1% 81.9%
2011 61.1% 82%
2010 61.1% 82%
2009 60.8% 81.9%
2008 60.4% 81.8%
2007 59.7% 81.7%
2006 59% 81.6%
2005 58.2% 81.4%
2004 57.4% 81.1%
2003 56.6% 80.7%
2002 55.8% 80.3%
2001 55.1% 79.9%
2000 54.4% 79.6%
1999 53.7% 79.4%
1998 53.1% 79.2%
1997 52.4% 79%
1996 51.7% 78.8%
1995 51% 78.4%
1994 50.3% 77.9%
1993 49.7% 77.1%
1992 49% 76.2%
1991 48.4% 75.2%
1990 47.7% 74%
1989 47.1% 72.5%
1988 46.5% 70.6%
1987 45.8% 68.6%
1986 45.2% 66.6%
1985 44.5% 64.8%
1984 43.9% 63.1%
1983 43.2% 61.5%
1982 42.6% 60%
1981 41.9% 58.3%
1980 41.3% 56.7%
1979 40.6% 54.9%
1978 40% 53.1%
1977 39.3% 51.3%
1976 38.7% 49.6%
1975 38.1% 48%
1974 37.5% 46.5%
1973 36.9% 45.1%
1972 36.3% 43.8%
1971 35.8% 42.3%
1970 35.2% 40.7%
1969 34.7% 38.7%
1968 34.2% 36.5%
1967 33.7% 34.6%
1966 33.2% 33.1%
1965 32.7% 32%
1964 32.3% 31%
1963 31.9% 30.1%
1962 31.5% 29.2%
1961 31.2% 28.4%
1960 30.8% 27.7%

Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2024, retrieved 2026-04-06).

GeoRank.org/population-density/portugal/south-korea | CC BY

From 2004 to 2024, the share of urban population changed from 57.4% to 61.3% in Portugal and from 81.1% to 81.2% in South Korea.

Densely populated cities

Portugal
City Population
Lisbon 546K
Sintra 386K
Vila Nova de Gaia 304K
Porto 232K
Cascais 214K
Loures 202K
Braga 193K
Almada 177K
Matosinhos 173K
Oeiras 172K
South Korea
City Population
Seoul 9.67M
Busan 3.45M
Incheon 3.05M
Daegu 2.38M
Daejeon 1.48M
Gwangju 1.41M
Suwon 1.23M
Ulsan 1.13M
Yongin 1.08M
Goyang 1.06M

Compare countries by 7 more topics

Population density in other countries

1x

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/portugal/south-korea | CC BY

Help us show the world through your eyes

Share a photo of your city and help others discover what it looks like to live there. Your contribution makes our data come alive.

Data sources:

  1. World Bank | Agriculture & Rural Development (1961–2026, retrieved 2026-04-06)
  2. United Nations | World Population Prospects (1961–2026, retrieved 2026-03-10)
  3. U.S. Census Bureau (1961–2025, retrieved 2026-02-08)
  4. Wikidata (2018–2025, retrieved 2026-02-08)
  5. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2000–2019, retrieved 2026-02-20)

Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) — you’re free to copy, share, remix, adapt, and use even commercially as long as you give appropriate credit and clearly indicate if you made changes. Other sources may be subject to different license terms.