The population density of a country is the number of inhabited people per square kilometer area of the country. This article lists the 15 least densely populated countries in the world. Let’s read.
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15 least densely populated countries in the world
| Country | Continent | Population density per square kilometer (2021) (approximation) | |
| 1 | Mongolia | Asia | 2 |
| 2 | Namibia | Africa | 3 |
| 3 | Australia | Australia | 3 |
| 4 | Iceland | Europe | ~(3-4) |
| 5 | Suriname | South America | 4 |
| 6 | Libya | Africa | 4 |
| 7 | Guyana | South America | 4 |
| 8 | Canada | North America | 4 |
| 9 | Mauritania | Africa | 4 |
| 10 | Botswana | Africa | 5 |
| 11 | Kazakhstan | Asia | 7 |
| 12 | Central African Republic | Africa | 9 |
| 13 | Gabon | Africa | 9 |
| 14 | Russia | Asia and Europe | 9 |
| 15 | Bolivia | South America | 11 |
Mongolia
Mongolia is the least densely populated country in the world. It has a population density of only 2 people per square kilometer. Interestingly, the most densely populated country Monaco has a population density of about 9,500 times more than Mongolia.
Fun fact: The capital city of Ulaanbaatar is home to almost half of the total population in the country.
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Namibia
Population density per square kilometer: 3
Fun fact: Namibia is one of the driest countries in the world. There are two infamous deserts in Namibia – the Namib desert and the Kalahari desert.
Australia
Population density per square kilometer: 3
Fun fact: Australia is the sixth-largest country in the world in terms of area.
Iceland
Population density per square kilometer: 3 to 4
Fun fact: Iceland is the least densely populated country in Europe.
Suriname
Population density per square kilometer: 4
Fun fact: More than one-fourth population of Suriname is of Indian ethnicity.
Guyana
Population density per square kilometer: 4
Fun fact: Guyana is the only English-speaking country in South America.
Libya
Population density per square kilometer: 4
Fun fact: Libya is the fourth largest country in Africa.
Canada
Population density per square kilometer: 4
Fun fact: Canada is the second-largest country in the world in terms of area.
Mauritania
Population density per square kilometer: 4
Fun fact: Approximately 90% of Mauritania’s land area is within the Sahara desert.
Botswana
Population density per square kilometer: 5
Fun fact: Approximately 70% of Botswana’s land area is within the Kalahari desert
Kazakhstan
Population density per square kilometer: 7
Fun fact: Kazakhstan is a transcontinental country.
Central African Republic
Population density per square kilometer: 9
Fun fact: The Central African Republic is famous for its forest elephant (African forest elephant).
Gabon
Population density per square kilometer: 9
Fun fact: The equator passes through Gabon.
Russia
Population density per square kilometer: 9
Fun fact: Russia is the largest country in the world in terms of area.
Bolivia
Population density per square kilometer: 11
Fun fact: Nevado Sajama is the highest peak in Bolivia. It has an elevation of 6,542 meters.
Most countries on this list have either harsh living conditions or are very large resulting in a lower human population density.
Image by Walkerssk from Pixabay
Disclaimer: The stats may change with time.
The population density values are either from the latest census or are projections/estimates.
Reference: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/EN.POP.DNST under CC BY 4.0
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