3D Mapping The Global Population Density

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Today more than 7.8 billion people live on Earth. But the population is extremely unevenly distributed. These maps clearly describe the uneven distribution of Homo sapiens on our planet.

Maps were created by Alasdair Rae, using Aerialod software and population density data. The height of each bar represents the number of people living in any one square kilometer.

On the maps below, population data in various regions of our planet is visualized as population towers.

Europe

With 432 people per square kilometre, England is densely populated compared to most other nations of Europe. But it’s not as densely populated as the Netherlands, where 506 people live per square kilometre.

North America

Mexico City has the largest urban area in North America by population, accompanied by New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago.

3D population density of the United States

South America

Brasilian Sao Paulo is the most populous city in South America. Lima, the capital city of Peru, the second-most populated city in South America.

Asia

Over sixty million people live in Guangzhou – Hong Kong region. The cities of the Pearl River Delta could ultimately merge into one combined megalopolis.

The Sichuan Basin is the main population center in central China.

Bangladesh and India’s Indo-Gangetic Plain, which lies directly south of the Himalayas, are the most densely populated regions on Earth.

The preponderance of Pakistan’s population lives along the Indus River.

Region Taiheiyō Belt (literally “Pacific Belt”) containing most of the people in Japan.

With a population of 143 million, Java is the most populous island on our planet. Jakarta is on course to topple Tokyo as the world’s most populous city by 2030.

Asia’s largest island, Borneo, is sparsely populated compared to surrounding areas.

Australia and New Zealand

The most populous cities are located on the east coast of Australia (New South Wales, Queensland) and in southeast Australia (Victoria).

Auckland is the largest city in New Zealand. In Auckland lives more people than in the whole South Island!