Countries With the Fastest Growth in Population density (5-Year Change)

Name: Countries With the Fastest Growth in Population density (5-Year Change)
Creator: The World Bank
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Change in Population density over the five years to each country's latest year, as a percentage of the earlier value. Only countries that rose are listed. Source: The World Bank (CC BY 4.0).

Summary

Seychelles rose the most: by 25.1%, from 212.2 people per km² to 265.5 people per km² in the five years to 2024. Chad is second (+21.7%), followed by Syrian Arab Republic (+21.2%). 172 countries rose over that period; the median change among them was +7.34%.

#1: Seychelles · +25.1%
Median: +7.34%
Coverage: 172 countries
Data year: 2024
Last updated: 2026-11-14

Top 10: 5-year change (%). Bar chart of the top 10: 1. Seychelles 25.1; 2. Chad 21.7; 3. Syrian Arab Republic 21.2; 4. Somalia, Fed. Rep. 18.6; 5. Niger 17.8; 6. Congo, Dem. Rep. 17.6; 7. Saudi Arabia 17.4; 8. Angola 17; 9. Uganda 16.3; 10. United Arab Emirates 16.3.

Full ranking

Countries With the Fastest Growth in Population density (5-Year Change), 2024
Rank	Country	From	To	5-year change (%)
1	Seychelles	212.2	265.5	+25.1%
2	Chad	13.3	16.1	+21.7%
3	Syrian Arab Republic	110.8	134.4	+21.2%
4	Somalia, Fed. Rep.	25.6	30.3	+18.6%
5	Niger	18.1	21.3	+17.8%
6	Congo, Dem. Rep.	41	48.2	+17.6%
7	Saudi Arabia	14	16.4	+17.4%
8	Angola	26	30.4	+17%
9	Uganda	214.4	249.4	+16.3%
10	United Arab Emirates	133	154.7	+16.3%
11	Mali	17.3	20.1	+16.2%
12	Tanzania	66.8	77.6	+16.1%
13	Mozambique	38	44	+15.9%
14	Rwanda	517.9	600	+15.8%
15	Mauritania	4.33	5.02	+15.7%
16	Yemen, Rep.	66.5	76.9	+15.6%
17	Zambia	24.9	28.7	+15.1%
18	Oman	14.8	17.1	+15%
19	Burundi	477.2	547	+14.6%
20	Malta	1,575	1,805	+14.6%
21	South Sudan	16.5	18.9	+14.6%
22	Namibia	3.22	3.68	+14.3%
23	Ethiopia	103.1	117.7	+14.2%
24	Cameroon	54	61.6	+14.2%
25	Malawi	201.8	229.7	+13.8%
26	Benin	112.9	128.3	+13.6%
27	Equatorial Guinea	59.5	67.5	+13.3%
28	Madagascar	48.5	54.9	+13.3%
29	Côte d'Ivoire	88.7	100.4	+13.3%
30	Guinea	53	60	+13.2%
31	Senegal	84.9	96.1	+13.1%
32	West Bank and Gaza	778.3	877.9	+12.8%
33	Congo, Rep.	16.4	18.5	+12.8%
34	Afghanistan	58	65.4	+12.7%
35	Solomon Islands	26	29.3	+12.5%
36	Burkina Faso	76.6	86.1	+12.3%
37	Gambia, The	242.8	272.7	+12.3%
38	Vanuatu	24	26.9	+12.3%
39	Gabon	8.8	9.85	+12%
40	Canada	4.2	4.69	+11.9%
41	Guinea-Bissau	70	78.3	+11.9%
42	Iraq	94.9	106.1	+11.8%
43	Sierra Leone	107.1	119.7	+11.8%
44	Liberia	52.4	58.3	+11.3%
45	Tajikistan	68.7	76.3	+11.1%
46	Nigeria	230	255.5	+11.1%
47	Uzbekistan	74.8	82.9	+10.8%
48	Gibraltar	3,549	3,933	+10.8%
49	Sudan	24.4	27	+10.8%
50	Cayman Islands	280.5	310.2	+10.6%
51	Israel	418.4	462.2	+10.5%
52	São Tomé and Principe	222.3	245.4	+10.4%
53	Togo	140.1	154.6	+10.3%
54	Kuwait	249.3	274.8	+10.2%
55	Turkmenistan	14.5	15.9	+10.1%
56	Ghana	137.4	151.3	+10.1%
57	Papua New Guinea	21.2	23.4	+10.1%
58	Kenya	88.4	97.2	+9.84%
59	Comoros	422.7	463.5	+9.66%
60	Kyrgyz Republic	34.4	37.7	+9.58%
61	Luxembourg	240.8	263	+9.19%
62	Eritrea	26.8	29.3	+9.12%
63	Maldives	1,626	1,771	+8.94%
64	Zimbabwe	39.5	43	+8.93%
65	Honduras	88.9	96.8	+8.87%
66	Pakistan	299.4	326	+8.87%
67	Ireland	72.2	78.3	+8.43%
68	Kiribati	153	165.9	+8.42%
69	Egypt, Arab Rep.	108	117.1	+8.36%
70	Qatar	229.7	248.7	+8.3%
71	Jordan	120.2	130.1	+8.25%
72	Algeria	18.2	19.7	+8.13%
73	Botswana	4.12	4.45	+8.11%
74	Belize	16.9	18.3	+8.1%
75	Turks and Caicos Islands	45.4	49.1	+8.01%
76	Central African Republic	7.94	8.56	+7.81%
77	Mongolia	2.1	2.26	+7.78%
78	British Virgin Islands	242.6	261.4	+7.74%
79	Timor-Leste	87.5	94.2	+7.66%
80	Guatemala	159.6	171.8	+7.62%
81	Andorra	162.7	175.1	+7.6%
82	Faroe Islands	37.1	39.9	+7.5%
83	South Africa	49.1	52.8	+7.42%
84	Australia	3.29	3.54	+7.39%
85	Lao PDR	31.4	33.7	+7.35%
86	Djibouti	47	50.4	+7.35%
87	Sint Maarten (Dutch part)	1,188	1,275	+7.34%
88	Kazakhstan	7.12	7.63	+7.2%
89	Iceland	3.58	3.83	+7.2%
90	Cambodia	93.4	99.9	+7.02%
91	Paraguay	16.4	17.5	+6.7%
92	Panama	57.1	60.9	+6.63%
93	Nicaragua	53.2	56.7	+6.62%
94	New Zealand	18.9	20.1	+6.43%
95	Malaysia	101.8	108.2	+6.34%
96	Libya	3.95	4.19	+6.19%
97	Haiti	402.9	427.2	+6.01%
98	Colombia	45	47.7	+5.97%
99	Bolivia	10.8	11.4	+5.9%
100	Lesotho	72.8	77	+5.79%

Showing the top 100 of 172. Premium downloads the full list as CSV or JSON.

About the top 10

#1 Seychelles

Seychelles ranks #1 on this list with +25.1%.

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.

Full country profile

#2 Chad

Chad ranks #2 on this list with +21.7%.

Capital: N'Djamena
Continent: Africa
Income group: Low income
Population: 21 million people (2025)
GDP: US$21.47 billion (2025)
GDP per person: US$1,022 (2025)
Life expectancy: 55.2 years (2024)
Urban population: 27.6% of population (2025)

Largest cities: N'Djamena.

Also ranks #1 in fertility rate · #2 in birth rate · #2 in maternal mortality ratio.

Full country profile

#3 Syrian Arab Republic

Syrian Arab Republic ranks #3 on this list with +21.2%.

Capital: Damascus
Continent: Asia
Income group: Low income
Population: 25.62 million people (2025)
GDP: US$23.74 billion (2022)
GDP per person: US$1,057 (2022)
Life expectancy: 72.6 years (2024)
Urban population: 72.1% of population (2025)

Largest cities: Damascus, Aleppo.

Also ranks #2 in refugee population by origin · #2 in agriculture value added share of gdp · #3 in net migration.

Full country profile

#4 Somalia, Fed. Rep.

Somalia, Fed. Rep. ranks #4 on this list with +18.6%.

Capital: Mogadishu
Continent: Africa
Income group: Low income
Population: 19.66 million people (2025)
GDP: US$13 billion (2025)
GDP per person: US$661.2 (2025)
Life expectancy: 59 years (2024)
Urban population: 55.1% of population (2025)

Largest cities: North East State of Somalia, Mogadishu.

Also ranks #1 in prevalence of undernourishment · #2 in population ages 0-14 share · #2 in age dependency ratio (young).

Full country profile

#5 Niger

Niger ranks #5 on this list with +17.8%.

Capital: Niamey
Continent: Africa
Income group: Low income
Population: 27.92 million people (2025)
GDP: US$21.65 billion (2025)
GDP per person: US$775.4 (2025)
Life expectancy: 61.4 years (2024)
Urban population: 18.4% of population (2025)

Largest cities: Niamey.

Also ranks #1 in agriculture value added share of gdp · #2 in under-5 mortality rate · #3 in population ages 0-14 share.

Full country profile

#6 Congo, Dem. Rep.

Congo, Dem. Rep. ranks #6 on this list with +17.6%.

Capital: Kinshasa
Continent: Africa
Income group: Low income
Population: 112.83 million people (2025)
GDP: US$91.03 billion (2025)
GDP per person: US$806.8 (2025)
Life expectancy: 62.1 years (2024)
Urban population: 45.1% of population (2025)

Largest cities: Kinshasa, Mbuji-Mayi, Kananga.

Also ranks #1 in renewable energy share · #1 in poverty headcount ratio · #1 in mineral rents share of gdp.

Full country profile

#7 Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia ranks #7 on this list with +17.4%.

Capital: Riyadh
Continent: Asia
Income group: High income
Population: 36.97 million people (2025)
GDP: US$1.28 trillion (2025)
GDP per person: US$34,537 (2025)
Life expectancy: 79 years (2024)
Urban population: 84.6% of population (2025)

Largest cities: Riyadh, Jeddah, Medina.

Also ranks #2 in population growth rate · #2 in crop production index · #2 in pm2.5 air pollution exposure.

Full country profile

#8 Angola

Angola ranks #8 on this list with +17%.

Capital: Luanda
Continent: Africa
Income group: Lower middle income
Population: 39.04 million people (2025)
GDP: US$122.17 billion (2025)
GDP per person: US$3,130 (2025)
Life expectancy: 64.8 years (2024)
Urban population: 71.5% of population (2025)

Largest cities: Luanda, Quilamba Quiaxi.

Also ranks #4 in gini index · #4 in oil rents share of gdp · #5 in income share of richest 10%.

Full country profile

#9 Uganda

Uganda ranks #9 on this list with +16.3%.

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.

Full country profile

#10 United Arab Emirates

United Arab Emirates ranks #10 on this list with +16.3%.

Capital: Abu Dhabi
Continent: Asia
Income group: High income
Population: 11.51 million people (2025)
GDP: US$552.32 billion (2024)
GDP per person: US$50,274 (2024)
Life expectancy: 83.1 years (2024)
Urban population: 86% of population (2025)

Largest cities: Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah.

Also ranks #1 in population growth rate · #1 in internet users share · #2 in male population share.

Full country profile

Profile facts: World Bank (CC BY 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0); weather links go to Purr Weather, another ChowChow Labs site.

Source and method

Change in Population density over the five years to each country's latest year, as a percentage of the earlier value. Only countries that rose are listed.

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 (changes are computed from the published values). Provider terms: The World Bank. All licences: Sources & licences.

Summary

Full ranking

About the top 10

#1 Seychelles

#2 Chad

#3 Syrian Arab Republic

#4 Somalia, Fed. Rep.

#5 Niger

#6 Congo, Dem. Rep.

#7 Saudi Arabia

#8 Angola

#9 Uganda

#10 United Arab Emirates

Related rankings

Source and method