How to Calculate Population Density

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Population density is an essential measure used in demography to evaluate the concentration of individuals in a given area. It provides valuable insights into the distribution of people, their living conditions, and the availability of resources in a particular region. By calculating population density, we can better understand the level of urbanization, overcrowding, or sparsity within a specific geographic area. This information is crucial for policymakers, urban planners, and researchers who aim to analyze and address challenges related to population growth, resource allocation, and social and economic development. In this guide, we will explore the various methods and techniques used to calculate population density accurately, allowing for informed decision-making and sustainable planning.

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Population density is the number of people living per unit area, taken as an average. From this value you can deduce the amount of resources an area needs, and based on that compare different areas. You need area and population data to insert the following population density formula: Population Density = Population / Land Area .

Table of Contents

Steps

Data collection

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Determine the area. Find the boundary of the area you want to know the population density of. But why do you need this data? Maybe you want to know the population density of your country, the city or the surrounding residential area, then you need to calculate the area of that area in meters or square kilometers.

• Fortunately, such areas are often already measured and surveyed by others. You can look it up in the census, encyclopedia, or on the internet.
• Determines if the area has a defined boundary. If you haven’t decided yet, you have to do it yourself. For example, a neighborhood might not have been included in the census data, so you’d have to draw the boundaries yourself.

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Determine the population. You must find the latest figures on the number of people living in this area. Starting with an internet search, let’s say we find the population of Ho Chi Minh City. Find the most recent census data for an approximate number. If you want to find the population of a country, the CIA World Factbook gives the most accurate data. ^{[1] X Research Source}

• If you want to calculate the population density for an area that has never been recorded, you have to count the number of people there yourself. For example, the number of people in a typical urban area or the number of dogs living in your neighborhood. Try to find the most accurate figures possible. ^{[2] X Research Source}

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Data balance. If you are comparing two areas, the numbers must be in the same units. For example, if one country has an area in square miles and the other in square kilometers, you must convert their areas to the same units of miles or square kilometers. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

• To convert between inches and meters, go to http://www.metric-conversions.org.

Calculate population density

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Learn calculation formulas. To calculate population density you have to divide the population by the area. So we have the formula is Population Density = Number of people / Land area . ^{[4] X Research Sources}

• The unit of land area is square kilometers, square meters can be used if the area to be calculated is quite small. However, most calculations for demographic or technical purposes use square kilometers.
• The unit of population density is person/unit area, for example 2000 people/square kilometer.

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Substitute the data into the formula. Now you know the population and land area of the area to be calculated. For example, if Ho Chi Minh City has 8,244,400 people with an area of 2095 square kilometers, you write 8,244,400/2095 square kilometers.

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Divide population by area. Divide on paper by hand or use a personal computer. Specifically, in the above example, we divide 8,244,400 by 2095 to have a population density of 3,935 people/square kilometer.

Analysis from population density

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Compare population density. Compare data for multiple areas and use contrast density metrics to make judgments about these places. For example, if Tay Ninh province has 1,112,000 people on an area of 4,035 square kilometers, the population density would be 275 people per square kilometer. You can see that the population density of Ho Chi Minh City is much higher than that of Tay Ninh. From such a huge difference, what conclusions can you infer about those two provinces? ^{[5] X Research Sources}

• Even if you calculate the population density of the whole large city, that result doesn’t say much about the difference between the two towns within the city. You have to calculate the specific density of a certain area if you want to understand it.

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Try including population growth. Calculate an area’s expected population growth, then compare the current population density with the projected future population density. You can find past census data and compare that period density with current figures. Try to figure out why the place has changed and how it will change. ^{[6] X Research Source}

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Be aware of limitations. The population density calculation above is too simple and easy to understand, but it cannot reveal many subtle details of an area. This depends a lot on the size and type of area you are looking at. Sometimes that formula more accurately reflects small densely populated areas than large areas with wasteland.

• Suppose you calculate the population density of a country with a lot of vacant land and dense forests, while also having a large city. The overall population density of the country cannot give you an exact idea of the density of the city, which is actually inhabited. ^{[7] X Research Sources}
• Remember that population density is just an average. It does not have an exact correlation with the population of an area. What is the reason for that inaccuracy? You try to calculate the density of a smaller area within the original calculated area. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

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Think about data. Make predictions about an area when you know what is high and what is low population density. For example, areas with high population density often have high crime rates and expensive housing and goods prices. Places with low densities are often mainly agricultural development, with a lot of open land and wild areas. Depending on the purpose of the assessment, you will draw different conclusions about an area. In general, this data contains a lot of profound content. ^{[9] X Research Source}

Advice

• Compare the data you just found with previous population density reports. If your results differ from the data listed in the report, you should investigate the cause of the error or whether it is due to population trends over time.
• Use the same formula to find the density of animals, such as pets.

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Things you need

• Encyclopedia or Internet search
• Map
• Laptop
• Pencil
• Paper

X

wikiHow is a “wiki” site, which means that many of the articles here are written by multiple authors. To create this article, 10 people, some of whom are anonymous, have edited and improved the article over time.

There are 9 references cited in this article that you can view at the bottom of the page.

This article has been viewed 253,724 times.

Population density is the number of people living per unit area, taken as an average. From this value you can deduce the amount of resources an area needs, and based on that compare different areas. You need area and population data to insert the following population density formula: Population Density = Population / Land Area .

In conclusion, calculating population density is a simple yet effective way to understand the distribution of population in an area. It provides valuable insights into the concentration and density of people living within a given region, allowing for better planning and resource allocation. By dividing the total population by the land area, population density can be measured accurately. Additionally, it is essential to consider the precision and accuracy of data sources, as well as potential factors that can influence population density such as urbanization, migration, and natural disasters. Overall, population density calculations are vital tools for policymakers, urban planners, and researchers to make informed decisions, design sustainable cities, and improve the overall quality of life for residents.

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