Tokyo, Japan covers an area of 845 square miles. There are 38 million people living in Tokyo. Delhi, India has an area of 573 square miles and has a population of 36 million people. Although more people live in Tokyo, the population density is greater in Delhi. How many more people per square mile live in Delhi? Round to the nearest person per square mile.
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
To determine how many more people per square mile live in Delhi compared to Tokyo, we start by calculating the population densities of both cities.
Population density = Population ÷ Area
For Tokyo:
- Population: 38,000,000
- Area: 845 square miles
- Density = 38,000,000 ÷ 845 ≈ 44,970 people per square mile
For Delhi:
- Population: 36,000,000
- Area: 573 square miles
- Density = 36,000,000 ÷ 573 ≈ 62,832 people per square mile
Now, subtract Tokyo’s density from Delhi’s:
- 62,832 – 44,970 = 17,862
Answer: There are approximately 17,862 more people per square mile living in Delhi than in Tokyo.
Explanation
Understanding population density helps us gauge how crowded a city might feel. Although Tokyo has more residents overall, the area it covers is also larger than Delhi. This balance between population and land area is crucial when evaluating how densely populated a city is.
Population density is calculated by dividing the total number of people by the land area they occupy. In this case, Tokyo covers 845 square miles and is home to 38 million people. Dividing 38 million by 845 gives us around 44,970 people per square mile. Delhi, on the other hand, has a slightly smaller population of 36 million but occupies a significantly smaller area of 573 square miles. When we divide 36 million by 573, we get about 62,832 people per square mile.
The difference in population density between Delhi and Tokyo is therefore about 17,862 people per square mile. This means that on average, every square mile in Delhi has nearly eighteen thousand more people than a square mile in Tokyo. This can affect many aspects of city life such as housing availability, public transportation, infrastructure demands, and overall living conditions.
Although a higher population might suggest a busier environment, density tells a more accurate story of how tightly people are packed within a space. In this comparison, Delhi is significantly more densely populated than Tokyo despite having fewer people, simply because it occupies less land.
