Which country has the highest population density?

Which country has the highest population density? Monaco does. This tiny sovereign state on the French Riviera has roughly 38,000 residents packed into just over 2 square kilometres, producing a density of more than 18,000 people per square kilometre by many national-area calculations.

Monaco’s density is closely tied to its geography. It occupies a narrow strip of Mediterranean coastline and has almost no undeveloped land. To accommodate growth, the principality has expanded its territory through land reclamation, including the Le Portier district inaugurated in 2024. High-rise apartment buildings make intensive use of the limited space.

A common mix-up is Singapore, which is much more populous and is often cited as the most densely populated country with more than one million people. Vatican City is also extremely small, but its resident population is far lower and its land includes substantial institutional areas. Monaco’s ranking refers to sovereign countries and depends slightly on the source’s population and area estimates.