Maps
The Population Density of Europe (and the World) in Two 3-D Maps
How many people live in Europe? The population of Europe is around 745 million people, or 10% of the world population. Internationally recognized data analyst, mapmaker, author, and visual storyteller Alasdair Rae has transformed this figure into a captivating population density map of the entire continent! Check it out:
Click below to zoom
Rae states: “The maps below use 1km x 1km data and the height of the bars represents the number of people living in any one square. The big squares are 50km x 50km (about 30 miles) and are there to provide sense of scale. The highest 1km densities are found in Spain and France, and Madrid, Barcelona and Paris in particular where you get values of more than 50,000.” You can explore more detailed sections of Europe here, as well as the creator’s insights and methods. You can also other fascinating data visualizations, such as the most densely population square kilometer in every U.S. state!
This got me thinking – what would an entire world map made like this look like? He actually made a complete map too! I wanted to provide both maps to provide a more “big picture” understanding of scale.
Click below to zoom
As you can see, in the grand scheme of the whole planet, Europe’s population density seems so humble. So what are the most densely populated cities in the world based on people per square kilometer? Try to take a guess based off of this map (test your geography knowledge!) and then check the list:
- Manila, Philippines (Asia) – 43,062
- Mandaluyong, Philippines (Asia) – 38,495
- Pateros, Philippines (Asia) – 37,061
- Caloocan, Philippines (Asia) – 31,233
- Bnei Brak, Israel (Asia) – 30,001
- Kathmandu, Nepal (Asia) – 29,161
- Dkaka, Bangladesh (Asia) – 29,069
- Makati, Philippines (Asia) – 28,975
- Port-au-Prince, Haiti (North America) – 27,395
- Levallois-Perret, France (Europe) – 26,713
The European city with the highest population density is Levallois-Perret in France, but it is nearly 20,000 people per square kilometer less than Manila, the most densely populated city in the world. While Americans in New York City or Los Angeles may fret over crowds and traffic, the truth is, none of America’s cities even rank in the top 50 for population density.