evidence: It’s often said that England is the most densely populated large country in Europe – typically in discussions about its rising population, and the growing strain on public services. But it’s not true, writes Alasdair Rae, professor in urban studies and planning, University of Sheffield. [...] If you are interested in looking at this issue globally, I recommend Duncan Smith’s World Population Density interactive map, or the World Bank’s data comparison tool. [...] When we look at 'lived density' across Europe, it’s fair to say that England is a densely populated country – but it still sits behind Spain and the Netherlands on the list of major European nations, and below the microstates of Monaco, Andorra and Malta. The lived density figure for the Netherlands is 546 people per km², compared to 531 for England, 204 for Wales, 200 for Scotland and 160 for Northern Ireland.