Countries in Africa Ranked by Population density (2024)
Population density: each country's latest value (2019–2024), ranked from highest to lowest. Source: The World Bank (CC BY 4.0).
Summary
Mauritius ranks #1 with 622.9 people per km². Rwanda is second with 600 people per km², 3.8% behind. The top five are Mauritius, Rwanda, Burundi, Comoros and Gambia, The. The median across all 54 is 69.9 people per km²; Namibia is last at 3.68 people per km². Mauritius's figure has risen 7% since 2000 (584.7 people per km² to 622.9 people per km² in 2024).
- #1
- Mauritius · 622.9 people per km²
- Median
- 69.9 people per km²
- Coverage
- 54 countries in Africa
- Data year
- 2024
- Last updated
- 2026-11-14
Full ranking
| Rank | Country | Population density (people per km²) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mauritius | 622.9 |
| 2 | Rwanda | 600 |
| 3 | Burundi | 547 |
| 4 | Comoros | 463.5 |
| 5 | Gambia, The | 272.7 |
| 6 | Seychelles | 265.5 |
| 7 | Nigeria | 255.5 |
| 8 | Uganda | 249.4 |
| 9 | São Tomé and Principe | 245.4 |
| 10 | Malawi | 229.7 |
| 11 | Togo | 154.6 |
| 12 | Ghana | 151.3 |
| 13 | Cabo Verde | 130.2 |
| 14 | Benin | 128.3 |
| 15 | Sierra Leone | 119.7 |
| 16 | Ethiopia | 117.7 |
| 17 | Egypt, Arab Rep. | 117.1 |
| 18 | Côte d'Ivoire | 100.4 |
| 19 | Kenya | 97.2 |
| 20 | Senegal | 96.1 |
| 21 | Burkina Faso | 86.1 |
| 22 | Morocco | 85.3 |
| 23 | Tunisia | 79 |
| 24 | Guinea-Bissau | 78.3 |
| 25 | Tanzania | 77.6 |
| 26 | Lesotho | 77 |
| 27 | Eswatini | 72.3 |
| 28 | Equatorial Guinea | 67.5 |
| 29 | Cameroon | 61.6 |
| 30 | Guinea | 60 |
| 31 | Liberia | 58.3 |
| 32 | Madagascar | 54.9 |
| 33 | South Africa | 52.8 |
| 34 | Djibouti | 50.4 |
| 35 | Congo, Dem. Rep. | 48.2 |
| 36 | Mozambique | 44 |
| 37 | Zimbabwe | 43 |
| 38 | Angola | 30.4 |
| 39 | Somalia, Fed. Rep. | 30.3 |
| 40 | Eritrea | 29.3 |
| 41 | Zambia | 28.7 |
| 42 | Sudan | 27 |
| 43 | Niger | 21.3 |
| 44 | Mali | 20.1 |
| 45 | Algeria | 19.7 |
| 46 | South Sudan | 18.9 |
| 47 | Congo, Rep. | 18.5 |
| 48 | Chad | 16.1 |
| 49 | Gabon | 9.85 |
| 50 | Central African Republic | 8.56 |
| 51 | Mauritania | 5.02 |
| 52 | Botswana | 4.45 |
| 53 | Libya | 4.19 |
| 54 | Namibia | 3.68 |
About the top 10
#1 Mauritius
Mauritius ranks #1 on this list with 622.9 people per km².
- Capital
- Port Louis
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 1.24 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$16.16 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$12,991 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 73.8 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 39% of population (2025)
Also ranks #6 in cereal yield · #11 in low-birthweight babies share · #15 in population density.
#2 Rwanda
Rwanda ranks #2 on this list with 600 people per km².
- Capital
- Kigali
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 14.57 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$16.37 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$1,124 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 68 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 30.9% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Kigali.
Also ranks #1 in women in parliament share · #2 in school enrolment (primary) · #2 in pupil-teacher ratio (primary).
#3 Burundi
Burundi ranks #3 on this list with 547 people per km².
- Capital
- Gitega
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 14.39 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$3.36 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$233.8 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 63.8 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 25.7% of population (2025)
Also ranks #1 in prevalence of stunting (under-5) · #3 in forest rents share of gdp · #3 in real effective exchange rate index.
#4 Comoros
Comoros ranks #4 on this list with 463.5 people per km².
- Capital
- Moroni
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 882,850 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$1.81 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$2,056 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 67 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 33.9% of population (2025)
Also ranks #3 in low-birthweight babies share · #4 in agriculture value added share of gdp · #10 in agricultural land share.
#5 Gambia, The
Gambia, The ranks #5 on this list with 272.7 people per km².
- Capital
- Banjul
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 2.82 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$2.59 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$919.1 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 66.1 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 65% of population (2025)
Also ranks #2 in gender parity index (school enrolment) · #3 in arable land share · #7 in gross capital formation rate.
#6 Seychelles
Seychelles ranks #6 on this list with 265.5 people per km².
- Capital
- Victoria
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 122,730 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$2.39 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$19,449 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 76.3 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 45.5% of population (2025)
Also ranks #1 in protected terrestrial area share · #3 in physicians per 1,000 · #8 in male population share.
#7 Nigeria
Nigeria ranks #7 on this list with 255.5 people per km².
- Capital
- Abuja
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 237.53 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$290.79 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$1,224 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 54.6 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 63.8% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Lagos, Kano, Port Harcourt.
Also ranks #1 in under-5 mortality rate · #1 in maternal mortality ratio · #1 in children out of school (primary).
#8 Uganda
Uganda ranks #8 on this list with 249.4 people per km².
- Capital
- Kampala
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 51.39 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$61.99 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$1,206 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 68.5 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 31.9% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Kampala.
Also ranks #6 in renewable energy share · #6 in refugee population by asylum · #7 in agricultural land share.
#9 São Tomé and Principe
São Tomé and Principe ranks #9 on this list with 245.4 people per km².
- Capital
- São Tomé
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 240,250 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$981.29 million (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$4,084 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 69.9 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 69.2% of population (2025)
Also ranks #10 in services value added share of gdp · #16 in lending interest rate · #18 in prevalence of undernourishment.
#10 Malawi
Malawi ranks #10 on this list with 229.7 people per km².
- Capital
- Lilongwe
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 22.22 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$14.92 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$671.5 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 67.6 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 17.6% of population (2025)
Also ranks #3 in school enrolment (primary) · #3 in pupil-teacher ratio (primary) · #3 in poverty headcount ratio.
Profile facts: World Bank (CC BY 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0); weather links go to Purr Weather, another ChowChow Labs site.
Source and method
Population density: each country's latest value (2019–2024), ranked from highest to lowest.
Source: The World Bank, indicator EN.POP.DNST. Licence: CC BY 4.0. Retrieved: 2026-11-14.
The World Bank: Population density (people per sq. km of land area): FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) (via World Development Indicators)
Original data provider, as recorded by the World Bank: 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).
Values are shown as published. Provider terms: The World Bank. All licences: Sources & licences.