Asia Population Density and Map (2026)

Asia is the most densely populated continent in the world, containing some of the largest populations and highest-density countries on Earth.

Population density in Asia varies dramatically between countries, with some states supporting huge human concentration and others remaining sparsely populated across vast land areas.

What is population density?

Population density measures how many people live per square kilometer of land area. It shows how tightly a population is concentrated within a country’s territory, rather than total population size.

High population density reflects land pressure, urban concentration, infrastructure demand, and limited space for expansion.

Low population density reflects large land areas, environmental constraints, and dispersed settlement patterns.

Average population density of Asia

Asia has the highest average population density of any continent, with an average of 152.3 people per square kilometer. This is about three times the density of Africa and roughly two and a half times the global average.

This continental average is shaped by dense urban systems such as Manila and Mumbai, and by limited habitable land such as highlands, deserts and steppe landscapes.

Very large national populations remain compressed into relatively small territories.

Most densely populated countries in Asia

These Asian countries have the highest population density levels:

• Singapore
• Bahrain
• Maldives
• Bangladesh
• Lebanon
• South Korea
• India
• Israel
• Philippines
• Sri Lanka

Least densely populated countries in Asia

These Asian countries have the lowest population density levels:

• Mongolia
• Kazakhstan
• Russia
• Saudi Arabia
• Turkmenistan
• Oman
• Bhutan
• Laos
• Kyrgyzstan
• Georgia

Complete Asia population density ranking

The table below ranks Asian countries, selected territories and special administrative regions by population density, from highest to lowest.

Population density figures are based on United Nations World Population Prospects 2024 data and measured in people per square kilometer.

Country listings follow commonly used geographic conventions and may include transcontinental states.

Continent Ranking	Country	Population Density	Global Ranking	Continent
1	China, Macao SAR	22309.7	2	Asia
2	Singapore	8476.0	3	Asia
3	China, Hong Kong SAR	6772.3	4	Asia
4	Bahrain	2004.7	6	Asia
5	Maldives	1753.3	7	Asia
6	Bangladesh	1317.3	9	Asia
7	State of Palestine	898.5	14	Asia
8	China, Taiwan Province of China	658.5	17	Asia
9	Lebanon	564.4	23	Asia
10	Republic of Korea	523.0	27	Asia
11	India	483.7	30	Asia
12	Israel	427.7	33	Asia
13	Philippines	383.0	36	Asia
14	Sri Lanka	366.3	38	Asia
15	Japan	330.1	41	Asia
16	Pakistan	321.1	44	Asia
17	Viet Nam	320.2	45	Asia
18	Kuwait	271.6	53	Asia
19	Qatar	257.1	57	Asia
20	Dem. People's Republic of Korea	219.4	71	Asia
21	Nepal	201.8	74	Asia
22	United Arab Emirates	149.8	86	Asia
23	China	148.2	88	Asia
24	Indonesia	147.1	89	Asia, Oceania
25	Cyprus	145.6	91	Asia
26	Thailand	140.3	93	Asia
27	Jordan	128.8	96	Asia
28	Syrian Arab Republic	128.4	98	Asia
29	Azerbaijan	124.8	101	Asia, Europe
30	Egypt	115.1	104	Africa, Asia
31	Türkiye	113.4	106	Asia, Europe
32	Malaysia	106.9	110	Asia
33	Iraq	103.8	112	Asia
34	Armenia	103.4	113	Asia
35	Cambodia	96.2	120	Asia
36	Timor-Leste	93.1	125	Asia
37	Uzbekistan	83.8	131	Asia
38	Myanmar	82.9	133	Asia
39	Brunei Darussalam	79.6	135	Asia
40	Yemen	74.6	145	Asia
41	Tajikistan	72.6	147	Asia
42	Afghanistan	63.8	154	Asia
43	Iran (Islamic Republic of)	55.6	163	Asia
44	Georgia	54.8	164	Asia, Europe
45	Kyrgyzstan	36.9	181	Asia
46	Lao People's Democratic Republic	33.2	182	Asia
47	Bhutan	20.5	200	Asia
48	Oman	16.3	212	Asia
49	Turkmenistan	15.7	214	Asia
50	Saudi Arabia	15.5	215	Asia
51	Russian Federation	8.9	220	Asia, Europe
52	Kazakhstan	7.5	222	Asia, Europe
53	Mongolia	2.2	234	Asia

High-density large countries

Some Asian countries combine very large populations with high population density, including India (483.7 people per km²), Bangladesh (1317.3), the Philippines (383.0), Japan (330.1), Pakistan (321.1), and Vietnam (320.2).

In these countries, population pressure is structural rather than temporary, producing sustained strain on housing systems, transport networks, water supply, food systems, and urban infrastructure.

Low-density large countries

Some of Asia’s largest countries by land area remain sparsely populated across most of their territory overall, including Mongolia (2.2 people per km²), Kazakhstan (7.5), and Saudi Arabia (15.5).

Population distribution in these countries is highly uneven, with dense urban and agricultural corridors separated by vast lightly inhabited regions.

Why population density in Asia matters

Population density in Asia directly affects:

• Housing availability
• Urban development
• Infrastructure pressure
• Transport systems
• Resource distribution
• Environmental sustainability
• Economic productivity