World's Most Densely Populated Cities

About This Dataset

World's Most Densely Populated Cities
Cities ranked by population density — the number of people per square kilometre of urban area. Dhaka in Bangladesh is the most densely populated major city on Earth, with over 44,000 people per square kilometre in its core urban area, creating extraordinary pressure on infrastructure and services.
Analysis

The population density figures reveal a stark contrast between the leading cities and those further down the list. Dhaka and Manila, with densities exceeding 43,000 people per square kilometer, are experiencing tremendous pressure on their infrastructure, which may lead to increased challenges in housing, transportation, and public health. In comparison, cities like Jakarta, with a density of 15,900 people per square kilometer, face significantly less strain. This trend suggests that urban planning and resource allocation in high-density cities must evolve rapidly to accommodate their growing populations, while lower-density cities might not yet feel the same urgency for reform.

Source:  Wikipedia

Key Findings

🏆
Dhaka leads in Population Density (people/km²) with 44,500 in 2024.
📊
Average Population Density (people/km²) in 2024: 30,257  ·  median: 27,777.
↔️
Gap in 2024: Dhaka is 2.8× larger than Jakarta.

World's Most Densely Populated Cities

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Data Insights

Numbers, trends & sources behind this chart

Admin
⬡
Data Points
8
8 categories  ·  1 year
↑
Top Value
44,500
Dhaka
Population Density (people/km²) · 2024
◈
Metrics
1
Population Density (people/km²)
◷
Period
2024
Single year snapshot

Methodology & source

Data source
Wikipedia
Coverage
8 entities · 2024 · 8 observations
Measure
Population Density (people/km²)
Last updated
5 April 2026
Compiled by
The ANYSTAT team, from the source above
How the figures are calculated
  • Values are shown as reported by the source. Nothing is rescaled, rebased or converted — the only changes are thousand separators and decimals shown to two places.
  • Entities are ranked highest-first on their value in 2024.

Rankings & Full Data

8 records · Population Density (people/km²) · ranked by 2024

✓ 8 sourced
# Category 2024 Source
🥇 Dhaka 44,500
🥈 Manila 43,000
🥉 Mumbai 32,300
4 Karachi 29,000
5 Chennai 26,553
6 Lagos 26,000
7 Taipei 24,800
8 Jakarta 15,900

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