The population density of Macau, one of the most densely populated places in the world, has risen to 20,400 people per square kilometer of land, according to the government’s Statistics and Census Service (DSEC). That marks an increase of 400 more than in 2018, the data released yesterday shows.
Macau’s population rose to 679,600 people last year, equating to an increase of 12,200 from 2018.
Meanwhile, Macau’s total land area was 32.9 square kilometers in 2019. The growth of the city’s land area did not catch up with that of the population, even as city’s three principal areas – Macau, Taipa and Coloane – all recorded increases, although at varying rates.
According to 2019 data compiled by the United Nations, the Macau SAR is the world’s second-most densely populated jurisdiction after Monaco. Singapore is the third-
most densely populated place, while Hong Kong is fourth.
A report by the World Economic Forum noted that densely populated areas “present problems for governments and policymakers, as they look to provide adequate infrastructure, including sanitation, transportation and housing.”
However, it also noted several advantages to crowded cities. The report cited studies which show that residents of highly populated cities tend to be healthier and happier.
Also disclosed in the DSEC data release yesterday, the average residential area per person in Macau remained stable throughout 2019, at 221 square feet or about 20.5 square meters per person.
With regards to other population metrics for the year of 2019, the tendency for females to outnumber males in the city persisted, having not changed for many years. However, in contrast to the gender distribution of the overall population, among all newborns, there were 106.5 male babies to every 100 female babies born.
Slightly more than one-tenth of the city’s population was aged 65 or above. A similar portion of the population was aged 14 or under. The middle-range age group amounted to three quarters of the total population.
In 2019, 8.9 babies were born out of every 1,000 people, virtually unchanged from 2018. Meanwhile, 3.4 deaths were recorded out of every 1,000 people, marking an increase of about 0.03 percentage points.
The life expectancy for the period covering the past three years was 83.8 years overall. Women in Macau tended to live longer than men, as life expectancy for males was 80.8 years and 86.7 for females.
Tumors were the most common cause of death in Macau, with circulatory system diseases – closely connected to cardiovascular diseases – following. The two causes of death are responsible for nearly 63% of local deaths. AL
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