Insider Monkey

50 Most Densely Populated Countries in the World

Ramish Cheema
11 min read

In this piece, we will take a look at the 50 most densely populated countries in the world. For more countries, head on over to 10 Most Densely Populated Countries in the World.

Depending on who you ask, some people will say that the world's population is growing too fast while others will say that it isn't growing fast enough. A report from the United Nations' Department of Economic and Social Affairs takes a mixed look. It believes that the global population is on a fast track to growth and that it has tripled from levels in 1950 to sit at 8.8 billion by the end of 2022. However, this rate is slowing down now, and despite tripling in less than a hundred years, the population is estimated to sit at a mere 11 billion by 2100. The bulk of this growth is expected to take place in middle and low income countries, which is perhaps the most worrying aspect of this growth for the U.N. This population growth also carries the risk of affecting the global body's Sustainable Development Goals which seek to reduce global emissions at levels that they do not threaten the climate. Worryingly, U.N.'s data also shows that the highest rates of population growth between 2000 and 2020 were in regions that have the lowest global spending per capita on primary and secondary education, while the countries that spend the highest amounts had growth rates either in the negative or below one percent.

At the same time, while population growth might be a problem in areas with low education spending, the inverse is also present in regions that spend more on education. The best example of the perils of negative growth comes from the world's third largest economy Japan. Japan is one of the most interesting countries in the world in terms of demographics. Not only does it have the world's biggest and most populous city Tokyo, but it had the shortest post-World War Two baby boom and has the highest levels of life expectancy in the world. At the same time, Japan's population also dropped by half a million in 2022, marking the twelfth consecutive year for a drop. This drop comes amidst rather shocking statistics that have seen one Japanese village not see childbirth for a stunning 25 years.

So, what are the economic impacts of this slowdown in birth rates? Well, according to estimates from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Japan's labor force has fallen from an all-time high of 70% in 1991-1993 to 59%. This reduction in the labor force places a higher burden of productivity on younger members of the population and it also reduces Japan's tax base - with the latter being particularly concerning since Japan has public debt as a share of the gross domestic product (GDP) in the world.

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