North America Population Density (2026)

The ultra-dense island territories of the Caribbean and the world’s largest island, Greenland, exist within the same continent of North America, creating one of the most extreme population density contrasts on Earth.

North America provides a clear example of how land scale and population size do not directly determine population density.

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.

Most densely populated countries in North America

These sovereign North American countries have the highest population density levels:

• Barbados
• Haiti
• Grenada
• El Salvador
• Trinidad and Tobago

These areas are predominantly small island countries, where population density is driven by extreme land constraints rather than large population size.

Limited physical space, coastal settlement concentration, tourism-based urban development, and historic colonial settlement patterns compress populations into very small land areas, producing some of the highest population densities in the region despite relatively modest total populations.

Least densely populated countries and territories in North America

These North American countries have the lowest population density levels:

• Canada
• Belize
• United States of America
• Nicaragua
• Panama

In these areas, settlement is concentrated in specific urban and economic corridors while vast land areas remain lightly inhabited.

Average population density of North America

North America’s population density is estimated at an average of approximately 20.5 people per square kilometer, placing it among the world’s lowest-density continents.

The figure is broadly similar to that of South America, which also has a low overall continental density.

Some of North America’s largest countries and territories by land area remain sparsely populated, including Canada (4.3 people per square kilometer) and Greenland (0.1).

Complete North America population density ranking

The table below ranks North American 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.

Why population density in North America matters

Population density in North America directly affects:

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