See India’s Population Density Visualized on a 3D Map

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Map: India’s Population Density Patterns

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India’s population has now grown to 1.42 billion people, topping China as the world’s most populous country. Spread over 1.27 million square miles (3.28 million km²), India’s average density comes in at 1,118 people per square mile (or 433 people/km²).

However, this already significant number can jump even higher, as seen in this population density map based on data from various government sources.

Ranked: India’s Largest Cities

Sprawling metropolises, Kolkata and Mumbai are incredibly dense, with over 24,000 people living within a square kilometer. This is significantly higher than Shanghai, which has only 16,982 people/km².

Both cities are erstwhile British trading outposts that grew to economic powerhouses at the height of the empire.

For more complete reference, here is a list of India’s most populous cities, corresponding neatly with the spikes on the map.

*Union territories. Names may have changed since this data was published. Source: UN World Urbanization Prospects (2018).

Just south of the Himalayas lies the Indo-Gangetic Plain, one of the most populated regions on Earth. Rivers fed by the massive mountain range make this region an exceptionally fertile agricultural zone.

Most of the plain lies in Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state and home to 240 million people. This makes it comparable to the size of Pakistan, the fifth most populous country in the world.

Meanwhile, a rare low density area can be spotted in the northeast of the country. This area is heavily forested and abound with several national parks, providing habitat for animals like leopards, rhinos, and water buffalos.

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