Hong Kong Is the Fourth Most Densely Populated Region in the World

Anyone who has ever lived in or visited Hong Kong will confirm one thing: the territory is extremely densely populated. But how does it rank relative to other parts of the world? Well, it all depends on what you consider Hong Kong to be.

Compared to other global cities, Hong Kong’s 6,800 inhabitants per square kilometre (17,614.5 per square mile) is not particularly impressive. If anything, the official population density sounds surprisingly low given the tight living conditions of Hongkongers. This is because the metric is measured relative to its total landmass when, in reality, the population is concentrated within just 25% of its area. The remaining 75% of the territory consists of steep, protected hillsides, country parks, and wetlands.

Consequently, Hong Kong's territory functions more like a region than a typical city—a reality directly reflected in its official name: the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Viewed through this lens, those 6,800 inhabitants per square kilometre take on a whole new dimension, elevating the territory to the fourth most densely populated region globally.

Quite astonishingly, the most densely populated region in the world is none other than China’s other S.A.R. and Hong Kong’s direct neighbour, Macau, which boasts an incredible 20,300 inhabitants per square kilometre (52,576.8 per square mile). Second on the podium is the European city-state of Monaco, followed in third by Singapore—Hong Kong’s direct competitor for the title of Asia’s World City.