Macao SAR, China: Population density (people per sq. km of land area)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Macao SAR, China's population density (people per sq. km of land area) rose 246.25 on 2023 (from 20,384 to 20,631).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +39.48 and a typical year strayed about 1,016 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 2,176 in 1964 and the biggest yearly fall was 4,842 in 2001. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2015 to 2024 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 29% of the movement over 10 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2024, Macao SAR, China had the 1st highest value of the 214 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Macao SAR, China in the 2024 ranking

• Monaco — 2nd of 214: 18,537
• Singapore — 3rd of 214: 8,329
• Hong Kong SAR, China — 4th of 214: 7,166

What this measures

Population density is midyear population divided by land area in square kilometers. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship--except for refugees not permanently settled in the country of asylum, who are generally considered part of the population of their country of origin. Land area is a country's total area, excluding area under inland water bodies, national claims to continental shelf, and exclusive economic zones. In most cases the definition of inland water bodies includes major rivers and lakes.

Limitations: Current population estimates for developing countries that lack recent census data and pre- and post-census estimates for countries with census data are provided by the United Nations Population Division and other agencies. The cohort component method - a standard method for estimating and projecting population - requires fertility, mortality, and net migration data, often collected from sample surveys, which can be small or limited in coverage. Population estimates are from demographic modeling and so are susceptible to biases and errors from shortcomings in the model and in the data.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.

All 64 values

Population density (people per sq. km of land area) in nearby economies

• American Samoa — 235 (2024)
• Australia — 3.54 (2024)
• Brunei Darussalam — 87.8 (2024)
• Cambodia — 99.93 (2024)
• China — 150.08 (2024)
• Fiji — 50.66 (2024)
• French Polynesia — 80.04 (2024)
• Guam — 310.12 (2024)
• Hong Kong SAR, China — 7,166 (2024)
• Indonesia

More environment data for Macao SAR, China

• Population in largest city — 701,381 (2025)
• Population in the largest city (% of urban population) — 100% (2025)
• Rural population — 0 (2025)
• Rural population (% of total population) — 0% (2025)
• Urban population — 685,900 (2025)
• Urban population (% of total population) — 100% (2025)
• Aquaculture production (metric tons) — 0 (2024)
• Capture fisheries production (metric tons) — 1,500 (2024)
• Total fisheries production (metric tons) — 1,500 (2024)
• Urban population growth (annual %)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
• Data analysis examples: 6 worked from one dataset — 3 min read
• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Macao SAR, China's population density (people per sq. km of land area)?

20,631 in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1961?

It is up 138.06% from 8,666 in 1961 (1.39% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 21,530 in 2000 and the lowest 8,666 in 1961.

How does Macao SAR, China rank?

1st highest of 214 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in population density (people per sq. km of land area) unusual for Macao SAR, China?

In 2024, Macao SAR, China's population density (people per sq. km of land area) rose 246.25 on 2023 (from 20,384 to 20,631). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +39.48 and a typical year strayed about 1,016 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator EN.POP.DNST, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO); World Bank population estimates, World Bank (WB), publisher: World Bank (WB) Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

Want to ask your own questions of data like this? Try AnalyzeIt: upload a file or ask about public data in plain words, and every figure comes with its working.