Population density in South and Central America

by Jakub Marian

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Almost half a billion people live in South and Central America, and more than 600 million people live in Latin America (which includes Mexico and the Caribbean but excludes English and Dutch-speaking regions). However, the population is not spread evenly in the region.

For example, only 16 people per square kilometre live in Belize (the lowest value in central America), while its neighbour Guatemala boasts 155 people per square kilometre, one of the highest values in the Americas—but, see for yourself:

Population density in South and Central America
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Population density varies widely in Brazil. The coastal states are among the most densely populated regions in the Americas, while the Amazonian states are some of the least densely populated regions in the world.

Here are the data from the map (based on data by the World Bank), except tiny Caribbean islands, sorted from most to least densely populated:

CountryPeople per
km2 (2016)
Barbados660
Haiti394
Puerto Rico385
El Salvador306
Jamaica266
Trinidad and Tobago266
Dominican Republic220
Guatemala155
Cuba110
Costa Rica95
Honduras81
Ecuador66
Mexico66
Panama54
Nicaragua51
Colombia44
The Bahamas39
Venezuela36
Peru25
Brazil25
Chile24
Uruguay20
Paraguay17
Argentina16
Belize16
Bolivia10
Guyana4
Suriname4
French Guiana3
Falkland Islands0.3

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