In this article, we will reveal the most densely populated country in the world in 2024. If you wish to look at our detailed rankings, you can go to the 30 Most Densely Populated Countries in the World in 2024.

According to a United Nations (UN) report, the global population is increasing rapidly. Having tripled in size over the past few decades, the global population is projected to reach 11 billion from the current 8 billion by the end of the century. This growth will predominantly occur in middle-class or low-income regions.

Key factors driving this growth include declining mortality rates in developing countries due to improved healthcare. Moreover, fertility rates in certain countries also contribute to overall growth. While the global fertility rate has dropped from 5 in 1960 to 2.4 in 2021, countries like Niger and Angola still have high fertility rates of 6.73 and 5.76, respectively.

You can check out the 30 Most Fertile Countries in the World Heading into 2024 here.

In underdeveloped countries, population growth can also be influenced by religious values. Some religions encourage large families to support their practices, leading to high birth rates within these communities. However, this growing population can strain global resources and agriculture. The increasing population drives a higher demand for food, with reports indicating that the agricultural sector needs to boost production by 70% by 2050 to meet these rising demands.

Industry Leaders Embracing Sustainable Practices

Looking at the negative impacts of high population density, some industry leaders are increasing their efforts to preserve the planet for future generations through sustainable practices. Popular companies supporting such practices include Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT),  Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), and  PayPal Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:PYPL).

Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT), a leading technology company offering hardware, software, and cloud services, aims to become water-positive by 2030, meaning it will replenish more water than it uses. Moreover, the company plans to achieve zero waste in its direct operations and protect ecosystems by that year. In 2020, Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) announced its sustainability goals, committing to be carbon-negative by 2030, which involves reducing more carbon emissions than it has produced since its founding in 1975.

Moreover, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), well known for its innovative products like the iPhone, is also committed to reducing carbon emissions. Recent reports indicate that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has avoided 23 million metric tons of emissions so far, with a goal to become carbon neutral by 2030.

Similarly, PayPal Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:PYPL), the leading online payment platform, is taking steps to mitigate the environmental impacts of overpopulation by aiming for net-zero emissions by 2040. Furthermore, since 2021, PayPal Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:PYPL) has used 100% renewable energy for its global data centers.

Here’s what Wedgewood Partners said about PayPal Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:PYPL) in its Q1 2024 investor letter:

“PayPal Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:PYPL) has been a long-standing holding for Wedgewood, since 2015. After taking some of our gains around the company’s COVID-19-fueled peak in 2021, we have been adding to the stock slowly over the past two years, taking it back to a signi2icant position in the portfolio.

We would like to update you on our current thinking.

Like most “COVID-19 stocks”, a variety of companies (e.g., Amazon) benefited from artificially high growth rates due to the COVID-19 lockdowns and subsequent stimulus; fundamentals at PayPal saw a normalization as the world returned to normal through 2021- 2022. Similar to most of those companies, many PayPal investors had incorrectly assumed their arti2icially elevated growth rates during the COVID-19 period would continue for years and were surprised when the normalization occurred, leading to a decline in the Company’s admittedly overheated stock. The big difference between PayPal and many of these stocks (e.g., Amazon once again) is that PayPal still has not recovered from this broad normalization period…” (Click here to read the full text)

Our Methodology

We used data from the United Nations (UN) to shortlist the 30 most densely populated countries in the world in 2024. The countries have been ranked in ascending order based on their population per square kilometer. It is important to note that we have excluded any islands or territories from our list.

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The Most Densely Populated Country in the World in 2024

1. Monaco

Population per Square Kilometer: 24,266

Monaco secured the first place on our list of the most densely populated countries in the world in 2024. Over the period from 1960 to 2024, the population of  Monaco increased from 22,461 to over 36,000 individuals. This marks a substantial growth of more than 60% over the span of 64 years.

Discover which country secured the second spot. You can see the rest of the rankings for free here.

If you are looking for an AI stock that is as promising as Microsoft but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.