List of islands by population
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is a list of islands in the world ordered by population, which includes all islands with more than 100,000 people. For comparison, continental landmasses are also shown, in italics. The population of the world's islands is over 730 million, approximately 9% of the world's total population. Of those, only Java (Indonesia) and Honshu (Japan) have populations over 1% of the global population.
Islands ordered by population
Due to the uncertainty of what exactly constitutes a geographic island, as opposed to an administrative region, please see comments about what is included in the figures: the statistics for some "islands" include other nearby islands.
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World's most populated islands (10 million+ inhabitants)
Population over 10 million
| Ranking | Island | Population | Density | Largest settlement | Countries | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| per km2 | per sq mi | |||||
| – | Afro-Eurasia | 6,729,986,135 (2020) | 72.4 | 188 | Pearl River Delta | Multiple (in Africa, in Asia, in Europe) |
| – | America (landmass) | 1,027,067,740 (2020) | 23.5 | 61 | São Paulo | Multiple |
| 1 | Java | 156,927,804 (2024)[1] | 1,196 | 3,100 | Jakarta |  Indonesia |
| 2 | Honshū | 102,579,606 (2020)[2][3] | 449 | 1,160 | Tokyo |  Japan |
| 3 | Great Britain | 66,344,800 (2023)[4] | 287 | 740 | London |  United Kingdom |
| 4 | Luzon | 64,301,558 (2024)[5] | 480 | 1,200 | Quezon City |  Philippines |
| 5 | Sumatra | 60,795,669 (2023)[1][6] | 125 | 320 | Medan | Indonesia |
| 6 | Madagascar | 31,964,956 (2024) | 43.5 | 113 | Antananarivo |  Madagascar |
| 7 | Mindanao | 27,384,138 (2024)[7] | 261.4 | 677 | Davao City | Philippines |
| – | Australia (landmass) | 25,294,065 (2021 estimate) | 3.2 | 8.3 | Sydney |  Australia |
| 8 | Taiwan | 23,865,820 (2021)[8] | 657 | 1,700 | New Taipei City |  Taiwan |
| 9 | Salsette | 23,729,378 (2022)[8][9] | 24,414 | 63,230 | Mumbai |  India (Maharashtra) |
| 10 | Borneo | 23,720,000 (2020, admin, prelim)[1][10][11][12] | 26.3 | 68 | Samarinda | Indonesia (Kalimantan),  Brunei,  Malaysia ( Sabah,  Sarawak) |
| 11 | Hispaniola | 22,278,000 (2020, national popclocks July 1) | 277 | 720 | Santo Domingo |  Dominican Republic,  Haiti |
| 12 | Sri Lanka | 22,000,000 (2023)[13] | 310 | 800 | Colombo |  Sri Lanka |
| 13 | Sulawesi | 20,568,411 (2023, admin, prelim)[1][14] | 97 | 250 | Makassar | Indonesia |
| 14 | New Guinea | 14,800,000 (2020 RI, admin, prelim, 2020 PNG est)[1][15] | 15 | 39 | Jayapura | Indonesia (Western New Guinea),  Papua New Guinea |
| 15 | Kyūshū | 12,346,465 (2020 census)[2][16] | 336 | 870 | Fukuoka | Japan |
| 16 | Hainan | 10,081,232 (2020)[17] | 290 | 750 | Haikou |  China (Hainan) |
| 17 | Cuba | 10,055,968 (2023)[18] | 103.3 | 268 | Havana |  Cuba |
Population 1 million to 10 million
| Ranking | Island | Population | Density | Largest Settlement | Countries | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| per km2 | per sq mi | |||||
| 18 | Long Island | 8,063,262 (2020)[19] | 2,262.37 | 5,859.5 | Brooklyn |  United States ( New York) |
| 19 | Ireland | 7,026,636 (2022)[20][21] | 77.8 | 202 | Dublin |  Republic of Ireland, United Kingdom (Northern Ireland) |
| 20 | Singapore Island | 6,040,000 (2024)[22] | 7,704 | 19,950 | Singapore |  Singapore |
| 21 | Hokkaidō | 5,214,795 (2020 census)[2][23] | 67 | 170 | Sapporo | Japan ( Hokkaidō) |
| 22 | Sicily | 4,801,468 (2022)[24] | 190 | 490 | Palermo |  Italy ( Sicily) |
| 23 | Negros | 4,797,302 (2024)[25] | 331.7 | 859 | Bacolod | Philippines |
| 24 | Panay | 4,669,037 (2024)[26] | 358 | 930 | Iloilo City | Philippines |
| 25 | Bali | 4,461,260 (2024) | 750 | 1,900 | Denpasar | Indonesia ( Bali) |
| 26 | Cebu | 4,380,273 (2024) | 670 | 1,700 | Cebu City | Philippines ( Cebu) |
| 27 | Madura | 4,156,661 (2024) | 744 | 1,930 | Sampang | Indonesia ( East Java) |
| 28 | Lombok | 4,056,621 (2024) | 763 | 1,980 | Mataram | Indonesia ( West Nusa Tenggara) |
| 29 | North Island | 4,067,400 (June 2025)[27] | 34.5 | 89 | Auckland |  New Zealand |
| 30 | Shikoku | 3,627,347 (2020 census)[2][28] | 198 | 510 | Matsuyama | Japan |
| 31 | Puerto Rico | 3,203,295 (2024)[29][30] | 350.8 | 909 | San Juan | United States ( Puerto Rico) |
| 32 | Timor | 3,182,693 (2014)[31][32][33] | 107.6 | 279 | Kupang | Indonesia (part of  East Nusa Tenggara) and  East Timor |
| 33 | Jamaica | 2,950,210 (2015)[31] | 266 | 690 | Kingston |  Jamaica |
| 34 | Zhongshan Island | 2,890,000 (2015)[8][31][34] | 1,784 | 4,620 | Zhongshan | China (Guangdong and  Macau) |
| 35 | Leyte | 2,626,970 (2020) | 324.2 | 840 | Tacloban | Philippines |
| 36 | Zealand | 2,409,950 (2025)[35] | 327.4 | 848 | Copenhagen |  Denmark |
| 37 | Xiamen Island | 2,087,000 (2022 estimate).[36][37] Data excludes the outlying island of Gulangyu. | 11,848.4 | 30,687 | Xiamen | China (Fujian) |
| 38 | Island of Montreal | 2,014,221 (2016 estimate on 2011 census data)[38][39] | 4,022.3 | 10,418 | Montreal |  Canada ( Quebec) |
| 39 | Flores | 1,831,000 (2010)[40] | 122.2 | 316 | Maumere | Indonesia ( East Nusa Tenggara) |
| 40 | Haizhu | 1,819,000 (2020 census)[41] | 19,890 | 51,500 | Haizhu | China (Guangdong) |
| 41 | Bhola Island | 1,758,000 (2011)[8][42] | 1,179.8 | 3,056 | Bhola |  Bangladesh (Barisal) |
| 42 | Samar | 1,751,267 (2010)[43][44] | 140 | 360 | Calbayog | Philippines |
| 43 | Manhattan Island | 1,694,251 (2020)[45] | 28,873 | 74,780 | Manhattan | United States ( New York) |
| 44 | Sardinia | 1,579,181 (2022)[24] | 69 | 180 | Cagliari | Italy ( Sardinia) |
| 45 | Sumbawa | 1,391,340 (2014)[46] | 101.3 | 262 | Bima | Indonesia ( West Nusa Tenggara) |
| 46 | São Luís | 1,381,459 (2014 estimate)[47] | 978 | 2,530 | São Luís |  Brazil ( Maranhão) |
| 47 | Unguja (Zanzibar) | 1,346,332 (2022 census)[48] | 866 | 2,240 | Zanzibar City |  Tanzania ( Zanzibar) |
| 48 | Okinawa Island | 1,335,733 (2020 census)[2][49] | 1,105 | 2,860 | Naha | Japan ( Okinawa) |
| 49 | Mindoro | 1,331,473 (2015)[43] | 117.2 | 304 | Calapan | Philippines |
| 50 | Hong Kong Island | 1,270,876 (2021)[50] | 16,390 | 42,400 | Eastern District | China ( Hong Kong) |
| 51 | Cyprus | 1,268,437 (2024 estimate)[51] | 136 | 350 | Nicosia |  Cyprus,  Northern Cyprus (Recognised only by Turkey), United Kingdom (Akrotiri and Dhekelia) |
| 52 | Trinidad | 1,267,145 (2011 census)[52] | 266 | 690 | Chaguanas |  Trinidad and Tobago |
| 53 | South Island | 1,256,700 (June 2025)[27] | 7.9 | 20 | Christchurch | New Zealand |
| 54 | Mauritius | 1,219,265 (2014)[53] | 618.24 | 1,601.2 | Port Louis |  Mauritius |
| 55 | Bohol | 1,211,000 (2015)[54] | 290 | 750 | Tagbilaran | Philippines
( |
| 56 | Nantai | 1,169,000 (2022 estimate)[55] | 8,170 | 21,200 | Cangshan | China (Fujian) |
| 57 | Batam | 1,153,860 (2012 BPS Civil Survey)[56] | 750 | 1,900 | Batam | Indonesia
( |
| 58 | Bangka | 1,146,581 (2020)[57] | 100 | 260 | Pangkalpinang | Indonesia ( Bangka Belitung) |
| 59 | Bahrain Island | 1,095,000 (2014 Estimate)[58] | 1,556 | 4,030 | Manama |  Bahrain |
| 60 | Oahu | 1,016,508 (2020)[59] | 657.9 | 1,704 | Honolulu | United States
( |
Population 100,000 to 1,000,000
Peninsulas and other areas not regarded as islands
| Region | Population | Density (km2) | Density (sq mi) | Country | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peloponnese | 1,100,071 (2011) | 51.05 | 132.2 |  Greece | Peninsula (connected to mainland by a narrow isthmus which is crossed by a canal with no lock) |
| Delmarva | 681,030 (2000) | 48.21 | 124.9 | United States | Peninsula (connected to mainland by a narrow isthmus which is crossed by a canal with no lock) |
| Gimpo | 657,000 (2021) | 2,096 | 5,430 |  South Korea | Peninsula (connected to mainland by a narrow isthmus which is crossed by a canal) |
| Flevopolder | 362,336 (2021) | 373.54 | 967.5 |  Kingdom of the Netherlands ( Netherlands) | Artificial island |
| Cape Cod | 210,000 (2010) | 238 | 620 | United States ( Massachusetts) | Peninsula (connected to mainland by isthmus which is crossed by a canal with no lock) |
| Songdo | 188,213 (2021) | 3,000 | 7,800 | South Korea ( Incheon) | Artificial island |
| Taipa–Coloane | 129,648 (2016)[138] | 6,030 | 15,600[139] | China ( Macau) | Islands joined by a causeway and subsequently land reclamation |
| Samosir | 108,869 (2020) | 2,507.44 | 6,494.2 | Indonesia ( North Sumatra) | Peninsula within Lake Toba (connected to the island of Sumatra by a narrow isthmus which is crossed by a canal with no lock) |
| Potonggang-guyok | 105,180 (2008) | 14,000 | 36,000 |  North Korea (Pyongyang) | Artificial island between Pothong River and Pothonggang Canal |
See also
- List of islands by area
- List of islands by population density
- List of Canadian islands by population
- List of Caribbean countries by population
- List of European islands by population
- List of Indonesian islands by population
- List of islands of South America
- List of Oceanian countries by population
- List of populated islands of the Great Lakes
Notes
- Population calculated by adding the population of Richmond, British Columbia (209,937)[102] and Queensborough, New Westminster (10,311),[103] then subtracting the population of Sea Island (British Columbia) (819).[104]