Macao saw its population density rise from 18,000 per square km in 2007 to 19,000 per square km in 2008, according to the environmental statistics released on Wednesday by the city's Statistics and Census Service (DSEC).

The total land area of Macao, which has a population of over 500,000, measured 29.2 square km as at the end of 2008, and the city's per capita green area was 12 square meters, up by 6.2 percent over 2007, the figures showed.

Meanwhile, data from the roadside monitoring station in the island city's Macao Peninsula district showed that the level of air quality was classified as Good for 76.8 percent of the total number of days in 2008, according to the DSEC.

However, a total of 4,205 cases of noise complaint were reported in 2008, up by 13 percent year-on-year, mostly concerning noise from conversation and shouting, construction works, etc., the DSEC said.

In addition, the local waste system collected 179,000 tons of domestic garbage and 75,000 tons of garbage from the business sector in 2008, up by 2.9 percent and 9.4 percent respectively over 2007, but the volume of construction waste decreased notably by 37.8 percent to 1.94 million cubic meters, according to the DSEC.

(Xinhua News Agency May 28, 2009)