This Is the Least Densely Populated Country in the World

Source: Norimoto / Getty Images

55. Palau
> Population density: 102 people per square mile
> Est. population 2020: 18,092 — #214 out of 217 countries
> Land area: 178 square miles — #189 out of 217 countries
> Population growth, 2015-2020: 2.4%

Palau is a tropical archipelago in the Western Pacific consisting of about 340 coral and volcanic islands. The most populated city is Koror where about 11,000 people live. Koror was the country’s capital until 2006.

Source: PhotoTalk / Getty Images

54. The Bahamas
> Population density: 102 people per square mile
> Est. population 2020: 393,248 — #174 out of 217 countries
> Land area: 3,865 square miles — #163 out of 217 countries
> Population growth, 2015-2020: 5.1%

Located in the Atlantic Ocean, the Bahamas consists of about 700 islands, but people actually live only on 30 of them. The most populous island is New Providence, which is home to the Bahamas’ capital — Nassau. About two-thirds of the country’s population lives on New Providence.

Source: Tamer_Desouky / Getty Images

53. Zimbabwe
> Population density: 100 people per square mile
> Est. population 2020: 14,862,927 — #73 out of 217 countries
> Land area: 149,364 square miles — #61 out of 217 countries
> Population growth, 2015-2020: 7.6%

Zimbabwe, a landlocked country in southern Africa, best known for its diverse wildlife and safari areas, is about the size of Montana. The relatively high birth rate has kept the country’s population young with a median age of nearly 19 years old.

Source: GCShutter / Getty Images

52. United States
> Population density: 93 people per square mile
> Est. population 2020: 329,484,123 — #3 out of 217 countries
> Land area: 3,531,837 square miles — #3 out of 217 countries
> Population growth, 2015-2020: 2.7%

The United States is the third largest country in the world by land area as well as the third largest in terms of population. The relatively high population growth has kept the country’s population young with a median age of nearly 19 years old.

Source: stone973 / Getty Images

51. Faroe Islands
> Population density: 91 people per square mile
> Est. population 2020: 48,865 — #205 out of 217 countries
> Land area: 539 square miles — #175 out of 217 countries
> Population growth, 2015-2020: 1.7%

Faroe Islands, measuring about the size of Rhode Island, comprises 18 islands in the North Atlantic Ocean between Iceland and the Shetland Islands, north of the U.K. Faroe Islands are a self-governing territory officially part of the Kingdom of Denmark.