population density

[pop-yuh-ley-shuhn den-si-tee]

noun

plural

population densities 

1. the number of people, or members of a particular plant or animal species, living in a specified unit of area: a measure of how crowded or spread out inhabitants are.

   At the time of this research, the city had a population density of 537 persons per square mile.

   Our free-range chickens are raised without antibiotics and in low population densities, with plenty of room to roam around.

Word History and Origins

Origin of population density¹

First recorded in 1850–55

Example Sentences

The city's population density is more than 7,100 people per square kilometre of land, on par with packed metropolises like Tokyo.

Read more on Barron's

Retained firefighters - predominantly based in rural areas with a lower population density than bigger cities - are on-call emergency responders who live near their local fire station and jump in an appliance when needed.

Read more on BBC

Census figures from 2021 show that population density in the area around Clonavon Terrace was approximately 51 times the Northern Ireland average, and four times the average for Ballymena as a whole.

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The team also identified hotspots in areas with higher population density, greater homelessness and more overcrowding.

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“But over time, those natural enemies or pathogens appear, and their population density decreases.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• anthropology