Current World Population

8,298,978,817

India Flag India

1,476,630,000

China Flag China

1,412,910,000

United States Flag United States

349,035,000

Indonesia Flag Indonesia

287,887,000

Pakistan Flag Pakistan

259,300,000

Nigeria Flag Nigeria

242,432,000

2026 Population

10M
25M
50M
75M
100M
200M
1B
Country
2026 Pop. ↓
Rank
Area (km²)
Density /km²
Annual Change
% Global Pop
India FlagIndia1,476,630,00013.3M4970.87%18.45%
China FlagChina1,412,910,00029.7M150-0.23%17.65%
United States FlagUnited States349,035,00039.4M380.51%4.36%
Indonesia FlagIndonesia287,887,00041.9M1530.76%3.6%
Pakistan FlagPakistan259,300,0005881.9K3361.6%3.24%
Nigeria FlagNigeria242,432,0006923.8K2662.06%3.03%
Brazil FlagBrazil213,563,00078.5M260.35%2.67%
Bangladesh FlagBangladesh177,818,0008147.6K1,3661.21%2.22%
Russia FlagRussia143,394,000917.1M8.8-0.42%1.79%
Ethiopia FlagEthiopia138,902,000101.1M1232.53%1.74%
Mexico FlagMexico132,998,000112M680.8%1.66%
Japan FlagJapan122,428,00012377.9K336-0.55%1.53%
Egypt FlagEgypt120,101,000131M1211.47%1.5%
Philippines FlagPhilippines117,724,00014342.4K3950.8%1.47%
DR Congo FlagDR Congo116,452,000152.3M513.21%1.45%
Vietnam FlagVietnam102,177,00016331.2K3260.57%1.28%
Iran FlagIran93,168,500171.6M570.81%1.16%
Turkey FlagTurkey87,926,10018783.6K1120.27%1.1%
Germany FlagGermany83,644,30019357.1K239-0.51%1.04%
Tanzania FlagTanzania72,563,80020945.1K822.86%0.91%
Thailand FlagThailand71,559,60021513.1K140-0.08%0.89%
United Kingdom FlagUnited Kingdom69,931,50022242.9K2890.55%0.87%
France FlagFrance66,746,40023551.7K1220.14%0.83%
South Africa FlagSouth Africa65,453,100241.2M541.09%0.82%
Italy FlagItaly58,926,20025301.3K199-0.37%0.74%
Kenya FlagKenya58,636,40026580.4K1031.92%0.73%
Myanmar FlagMyanmar55,184,80027676.6K850.61%0.69%
Colombia FlagColombia53,936,200281.1M490.96%0.67%
Sudan FlagSudan53,282,700291.9M293.14%0.67%
Uganda FlagUganda52,761,50030241.6K2632.68%0.66%
South Korea FlagSouth Korea51,600,40031100.2K529-0.13%0.64%
Algeria FlagAlgeria48,028,300322.4M201.25%0.6%
Iraq FlagIraq48,007,40033438.3K1112.1%0.6%
Spain FlagSpain47,850,80034506K96-0.08%0.6%
Argentina FlagArgentina46,003,700352.8M170.33%0.57%
Afghanistan FlagAfghanistan45,047,10036652.2K692.74%0.56%
Yemen FlagYemen42,961,70037528K812.84%0.54%
Canada FlagCanada40,467,7003810M4.50.85%0.51%
Angola FlagAngola40,215,200391.2M323.01%0.5%
Ukraine FlagUkraine39,535,80040603.5K681.42%0.49%
Morocco FlagMorocco38,762,40041446.6K870.86%0.48%
Poland FlagPoland37,843,20042312.7K124-0.78%0.47%
Uzbekistan FlagUzbekistan37,724,20043447.4K861.81%0.47%
Mozambique FlagMozambique36,639,90044801.6K472.83%0.46%
Malaysia FlagMalaysia36,385,10045330.8K1111.13%0.45%
Ghana FlagGhana35,697,60046238.5K1571.81%0.45%
Saudi Arabia FlagSaudi Arabia35,165,800472.1M161.73%0.44%
Peru FlagPeru34,922,100481.3M271%0.44%
Madagascar FlagMadagascar33,522,10049587K582.39%0.42%
Ivory Coast FlagIvory Coast33,494,30050322.5K1052.39%0.42%
Cameroon FlagCameroon30,640,80051475.4K652.55%0.38%
Nepal FlagNepal29,629,40052147.2K2070.04%0.37%
Niger FlagNiger28,814,900531.3M233.21%0.36%
Venezuela FlagVenezuela28,633,70054916.4K320.41%0.36%
Australia FlagAustralia27,227,100557.7M3.50.94%0.34%
North Korea FlagNorth Korea26,633,70056120.5K2210.24%0.33%
Syria FlagSyria26,472,50057185.2K1443.33%0.33%
Mali FlagMali25,932,300581.2M212.91%0.32%
Burkina Faso FlagBurkina Faso24,601,70059273K902.19%0.31%
Sri Lanka FlagSri Lanka23,348,3006065.6K3770.51%0.29%
Taiwan FlagTaiwan23,011,3006136.2K636-0.44%0.29%
Malawi FlagMalawi22,785,50062118.5K2422.56%0.28%
Zambia FlagZambia22,521,90063752.6K302.77%0.28%
Chad FlagChad21,560,400641.3M172.65%0.27%
Kazakhstan FlagKazakhstan21,083,600652.7M7.81.15%0.26%
Somalia FlagSomalia20,305,90066637.7K323.31%0.25%
Chile FlagChile19,945,80067756.1K270.43%0.25%
Senegal FlagSenegal19,366,50068196.7K1012.3%0.24%
Guatemala FlagGuatemala18,968,00069108.9K1771.5%0.24%
Romania FlagRomania18,800,60070238.4K82-0.57%0.23%
Netherlands FlagNetherlands18,448,8007141.9K5480.56%0.23%
Ecuador FlagEcuador18,444,50072276.8K740.85%0.23%
Cambodia FlagCambodia18,051,20073181K1021.14%0.23%
Zimbabwe FlagZimbabwe17,273,60074390.8K451.9%0.22%
Guinea FlagGuinea15,442,00075245.9K632.27%0.19%
Benin FlagBenin15,170,40076112.6K1352.4%0.19%
Rwanda FlagRwanda14,889,7007726.3K6042.2%0.19%
Burundi FlagBurundi14,729,2007827.8K5742.36%0.18%
Bolivia FlagBolivia12,749,300791.1M121.33%0.16%
South Sudan FlagSouth Sudan12,436,00080619.7K202.03%0.16%
Tunisia FlagTunisia12,415,10081163.6K800.54%0.16%
Haiti FlagHaiti12,037,5008227.8K4371.1%0.15%
Belgium FlagBelgium11,774,6008330.5K3890.14%0.15%
Dominican Republic FlagDominican Republic11,609,5008448.7K2400.77%0.15%
Jordan FlagJordan11,589,5008589.3K1310.6%0.14%
United Arab Emirates FlagUnited Arab Emirates11,574,7008683.6K1632.02%0.14%
Honduras FlagHonduras11,184,80087112.5K1001.63%0.14%
Tajikistan FlagTajikistan10,978,60088143.1K791.78%0.14%
Papua New Guinea FlagPapua New Guinea10,947,80089462.8K241.72%0.14%
Cuba FlagCuba10,892,70090109.9K105-0.41%0.14%
Sweden FlagSweden10,701,00091450.3K260.42%0.13%
Czechia FlagCzechia10,527,8009278.9K136-0.77%0.13%
Azerbaijan FlagAzerbaijan10,454,9009386.6K1270.55%0.13%
Portugal FlagPortugal10,395,4009492.1K113-0.16%0.13%
Togo FlagTogo9,930,9209556.8K1832.15%0.12%
Greece FlagGreece9,897,12096132K77-0.42%0.12%
Israel FlagIsrael9,647,6909720.8K4461.37%0.12%
Hungary FlagHungary9,585,8209893K105-0.48%0.12%
Austria FlagAustria9,107,2709983.9K110-0.07%0.11%
Switzerland FlagSwitzerland9,007,80010041.3K2280.45%0.11%
Sierra Leone FlagSierra Leone8,996,74010171.7K1252.01%0.11%
Belarus FlagBelarus8,937,020102207.6K44-0.67%0.11%
Laos FlagLaos7,974,020103236.8K351.28%0.1%
Turkmenistan FlagTurkmenistan7,736,630104488.1K161.55%0.1%
Libya FlagLibya7,539,8501051.8M4.31.09%0.09%
Kyrgyzstan FlagKyrgyzstan7,400,460106200K391.45%0.09%
Hong Kong FlagHong Kong7,378,6001071.1K7,027-0.24%0.09%
Nicaragua FlagNicaragua7,097,330108130.4K591.28%0.09%
Paraguay FlagParaguay7,095,280109406.8K181.17%0.09%
Bulgaria FlagBulgaria6,667,660110110.9K61-0.7%0.08%
Serbia FlagSerbia6,641,96011188.4K76-0.7%0.08%
Republic of the Congo FlagRepublic of the Congo6,637,780112342K192.36%0.08%
El Salvador FlagEl Salvador6,391,25011321K3080.4%0.08%
Denmark FlagDenmark6,023,52011443.1K1510.35%0.08%
Singapore FlagSingapore5,905,7501157108,2250.6%0.07%
Lebanon FlagLebanon5,897,47011610.5K5760.82%0.07%
Liberia FlagLiberia5,853,950117111.4K612.14%0.07%
Central African Republic FlagCentral African Republic5,698,980118623K9.13.37%0.07%
Palestine FlagPalestine5,692,7901196.2K9461.85%0.07%
Oman FlagOman5,671,460120309.5K183.22%0.07%
Norway FlagNorway5,652,990121323.8K160.53%0.07%
Finland FlagFinland5,621,740122338.4K18-0.03%0.07%
Mauritania FlagMauritania5,461,3201231M5.32.75%0.07%
Slovakia FlagSlovakia5,451,34012449K111-0.43%0.07%
Ireland FlagIreland5,356,95012570.3K780.92%0.07%
New Zealand FlagNew Zealand5,287,480126270.5K200.68%0.07%
Costa Rica FlagCosta Rica5,174,79012751.1K1010.42%0.06%
Kuwait FlagKuwait5,102,77012817.8K2861.53%0.06%
Panama FlagPanama4,625,72012975.4K621.19%0.06%
Croatia FlagCroatia3,822,34013056.6K68-0.67%0.05%
Georgia FlagGeorgia3,804,64013169.7K55-0.05%0.05%
Eritrea FlagEritrea3,682,670132117.6K302.1%0.05%
Mongolia FlagMongolia3,556,8001331.6M2.31.13%0.04%
Uruguay FlagUruguay3,382,540134181K19-0.06%0.04%
Puerto Rico FlagPuerto Rico3,222,6901358.9K363-0.39%0.04%
Qatar FlagQatar3,173,56013611.6K2761.85%0.04%
Namibia FlagNamibia3,153,250137825.6K3.81.95%0.04%
Bosnia and Herzegovina FlagBosnia and Herzegovina3,114,24013851.2K61-0.82%0.04%
Moldova FlagMoldova2,961,25013933.8K90-1.16%0.04%
Armenia FlagArmenia2,930,92014029.7K103-0.73%0.04%
Gambia FlagGambia2,884,08014110.7K2852.2%0.04%
Jamaica FlagJamaica2,833,40014211K262-0.13%0.04%
Lithuania FlagLithuania2,797,34014365.3K45-1.16%0.03%
Albania FlagAlbania2,751,02014428.7K100-0.74%0.03%
Gabon FlagGabon2,647,400145267.7K102.09%0.03%
Botswana FlagBotswana2,603,390146582K4.61.61%0.03%
Lesotho FlagLesotho2,389,34014730.4K791.1%0.03%
Guinea-Bissau FlagGuinea-Bissau2,297,81014836.1K822.15%0.03%
Slovenia FlagSlovenia2,114,57014920.3K105-0.12%0.03%
Equatorial Guinea FlagEquatorial Guinea1,984,47015028.1K712.38%0.02%
Latvia FlagLatvia1,835,94015164.6K30-0.95%0.02%
North Macedonia FlagNorth Macedonia1,804,06015225.7K72-0.54%0.02%
Bahrain FlagBahrain1,675,5701537652,1341.96%0.02%
Trinidad and Tobago FlagTrinidad and Tobago1,513,2701545.1K2950.14%0.02%
Timor-Leste FlagTimor-Leste1,436,92015514.9K971.3%0.02%
Cyprus FlagCyprus1,382,3301569.3K1500.84%0.02%
Estonia FlagEstonia1,331,06015745.2K31-0.98%0.02%
Eswatini FlagEswatini1,269,86015817.4K741.09%0.02%
Mauritius FlagMauritius1,265,0601592K623-0.25%0.02%
Djibouti FlagDjibouti1,199,46016023.2K521.3%0.01%
Fiji FlagFiji937,28216118.3K510.44%0.01%
Comoros FlagComoros899,0101621.9K4831.83%0.01%
Reunion FlagReunion886,2981632.5K3530.44%0.01%
Solomon Islands FlagSolomon Islands858,28816428.9K312.34%0.01%
Guyana FlagGuyana840,890165215K4.30.59%0.01%
Bhutan FlagBhutan802,21416638.4K210.69%0.01%
Macau FlagMacau723,1881673321,9810.16%0.01%
Luxembourg FlagLuxembourg687,4481682.6K2671.03%0.01%
Suriname FlagSuriname645,256169163.8K4.10.84%0.01%
Montenegro FlagMontenegro626,23317013.8K47-1.03%0.01%
Western Sahara FlagWestern Sahara610,813171266K2.31.65%0.01%
Malta FlagMalta549,0111723161,7160.66%0.01%
Maldives FlagMaldives531,5171733001,7720.35%0.01%
Cape Verde FlagCape Verde529,6301744K1310.44%0.01%
Brunei FlagBrunei469,7751755.8K890.74%0.01%
Belize FlagBelize428,64417623K191.35%0.01%
Bahamas FlagBahamas404,62817713.9K400.4%0.01%
Iceland FlagIceland402,329178103K4.01.02%0.01%
Guadeloupe FlagGuadeloupe372,4531791.6K229-0.36%< 0.01%
Mayotte FlagMayotte347,5361803749293.12%< 0.01%
Vanuatu FlagVanuatu342,56418112.2K282.21%< 0.01%
Martinique FlagMartinique337,7111821.1K299-0.8%< 0.01%
French Guiana FlagFrench Guiana318,87218383.5K3.81.66%< 0.01%
New Caledonia FlagNew Caledonia297,89218418.6K160.87%< 0.01%
French Polynesia FlagFrench Polynesia283,0761854.2K820.22%< 0.01%
Barbados FlagBarbados282,7241864306570.04%< 0.01%
Sao Tome and Principe FlagSao Tome and Principe244,9941879642551.97%< 0.01%
Samoa FlagSamoa220,5281882.8K790.56%< 0.01%
Curacao FlagCuracao185,440189444418-0.03%< 0.01%
Saint Lucia FlagSaint Lucia180,4881906162960.19%< 0.01%
Guam FlagGuam170,1851915493150.7%< 0.01%
Kiribati FlagKiribati138,4451928111711.43%< 0.01%
Seychelles FlagSeychelles134,9591934522931.64%< 0.01%
Grenada FlagGrenada117,3621943443450.05%< 0.01%
Micronesia FlagMicronesia114,1831957021630.44%< 0.01%
Aruba FlagAruba108,1641961806010.02%< 0.01%
Jersey FlagJersey104,1061971168680.11%< 0.01%
Tonga FlagTonga103,291198747143-0.43%< 0.01%
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines FlagSaint Vincent and the Grenadines99,245199389254-0.68%< 0.01%
Antigua and Barbuda FlagAntigua and Barbuda94,6262004422150.44%< 0.01%
Isle of Man FlagIsle of Man84,055201572147-0.07%< 0.01%
Andorra FlagAndorra83,7532024681781.02%< 0.01%
United States Virgin Islands FlagUnited States Virgin Islands83,400203347240-0.88%< 0.01%
Cayman Islands FlagCayman Islands77,1962042643221.78%< 0.01%
Dominica FlagDominica65,51120575187-0.55%< 0.01%
Guernsey FlagGuernsey64,609206781,0260.2%< 0.01%
Bermuda FlagBermuda64,459207541,194-0.15%< 0.01%
Faroe Islands FlagFaroe Islands56,5262081.4K410.94%< 0.01%
Greenland FlagGreenland55,6292092.2M0.14-0.21%< 0.01%
Turks and Caicos Islands FlagTurks and Caicos Islands47,148210948500.63%< 0.01%
Saint Kitts and Nevis FlagSaint Kitts and Nevis46,9922112611810.15%< 0.01%
American Samoa FlagAmerican Samoa45,319212199227-1.54%< 0.01%
Sint Maarten FlagSint Maarten44,447213341,3071.19%< 0.01%
Northern Mariana Islands FlagNorthern Mariana Islands42,91421446493-1.44%< 0.01%
Gibraltar FlagGibraltar40,86721576,0101.85%< 0.01%
Liechtenstein FlagLiechtenstein40,3682161602520.6%< 0.01%
British Virgin Islands FlagBritish Virgin Islands39,9362171512660.51%< 0.01%
Monaco FlagMonaco38,087218219,044-0.66%< 0.01%
Marshall Islands FlagMarshall Islands35,075219181195-3.33%< 0.01%
San Marino FlagSan Marino33,605220615600.1%< 0.01%
Saint Martin FlagSaint Martin23,89822153478-4.18%< 0.01%
Palau FlagPalau17,61422245938-0.28%< 0.01%
Anguilla FlagAnguilla14,817223911630.6%< 0.01%
Cook Islands FlagCook Islands12,82622424053-3.29%< 0.01%
Nauru FlagNauru12,101225216050.63%< 0.01%
Saint Barthelemy FlagSaint Barthelemy11,550226214621.19%< 0.01%
Wallis and Futuna FlagWallis and Futuna11,11322727441-0.72%< 0.01%
Tuvalu FlagTuvalu9,36222826312-1.37%< 0.01%
Saint Pierre and Miquelon FlagSaint Pierre and Miquelon5,51322924223-1.09%< 0.01%
Saint Helena Ascension and Tristan da Cunha FlagSaint Helena Ascension and Tristan da Cunha5,14723027.8K13-0.96%< 0.01%
Montserrat FlagMontserrat4,32823110242-0.71%< 0.01%
Falkland Islands FlagFalkland Islands3,46523212.2K0.28-0.12%< 0.01%
Tokelau FlagTokelau2,691233122693.18%< 0.01%
Niue FlagNiue1,8222342617.00.05%< 0.01%
Vatican City FlagVatican City506235< 11,1501%< 0.01%

World Population, 1950-2100

The world's population continues to increase, with approximately 132 million babies born every year. According to the United Nations' 2024 World Population Prospects report the global population is projected to reach 9.7B by 2050, an increase of 1.4B from today, and peak at 10.3B in 2085.

Page: World Population by Year

World Population Growth Rate

While the world's total population is expected to continue to rise until roughly 2085, the rate at which the population is rising has been slowly decreasing for decades. In 2022, the global population growth rate fell below one percent for the first time since the early 20th century. This decrease continues a trend begun in the 1970s.

World Population History

Population History: Visualized

Year ↓
Population
Annual Change
20268,300,680,0000.84%
20258,231,610,0000.86%
20207,887,000,0001.09%
20157,470,490,0001.25%
20107,021,730,0001.29%
20056,586,970,0001.31%
20006,171,700,0001.39%
19955,758,880,0001.57%
19905,327,800,0001.82%
19854,868,940,0001.83%
19804,447,610,0001.79%
19754,070,740,0001.96%
19703,694,680,0002.07%
19653,334,530,0002.03%
19603,015,470,0001.93%
19552,740,210,0001.91%
19502,493,090,0000%
19452,382,970,0000.8%
19402,289,910,0001.02%
19352,177,030,0001.02%
19302,069,610,0000.91%
19251,977,850,0000.85%
19201,895,480,0000.72%
19151,828,590,0000.69%
19101,766,780,0000.83%
19051,695,020,0000.82%
19001,627,120,0000.69%
18951,572,320,0000.66%
18901,521,150,0000.74%
18851,466,280,0000.71%
18801,415,240,0000.57%
18751,375,810,0000.51%
18701,341,250,0000.35%
18651,318,290,0000.29%
18601,299,660,0000.17%
18551,288,560,0000.16%
18501,278,460,0000.42%
18451,251,710,0000.45%
18401,224,060,0000.47%
18351,195,600,0000.49%
18301,166,680,0000.65%
18251,129,400,0000.65%
18201,093,240,0000.7%
18151,055,560,0000.63%
18101,022,940,0000.4%
18051,002,670,0000.35%
1800985,084,0000.45%
1790942,262,0000.45%
1780900,945,0000.85%
1770827,951,0000.49%
1760788,255,0000.45%
1750753,279,0000.7%
1740702,228,0000.46%
1730670,900,0000.35%
1720648,185,0000.48%
1710617,976,0000.37%
1700595,457,0000.14%
1600516,148,0000.03%
1500503,051,0000.13%
1400442,309,000-0.03%
1300456,248,0000.03%
1200444,654,0000.11%
1100397,890,0000.21%
1000323,463,0000.04%
900311,143,0000.08%
800285,870,0000.03%
700278,346,0000.02%
600271,639,0000.07%
500253,396,0000.05%
400241,697,0000.06%
300227,703,000-0.06%
200240,762,0000.02%
100237,052,0000.02%
0232,269,0000.07%
-1000110,530,0000.04%
-200072,685,1000.05%
-300044,577,9000.04%
-400028,859,2000.04%
-500019,155,7000.04%
-600013,278,3000.03%
-70009,651,7000.03%
-80007,314,6200.03%
-90005,687,1200.02%
-100004,501,1500.06%

For most of human prehistory, the global population grew at an extraordinarily slow pace. It first reached 1 billion in the early 1800s, and then exploded past 8 billion over the next two centuries. This massive increase in human population is largely due to improvements in diet, sanitation, and medicine, especially compulsory vaccination against many diseases, which have both improved life expectancy and decreased infant mortality rates all over the world.

Milestone
Year Reached
Years Passed
1 Billion1805
2 Billion1927122
3 Billion196033
4 Billion197515
5 Billion198712
6 Billion199811
7 Billion201012
8 Billion202212
9 Billion203715
10 Billion206124

Page: World Population Milestones

Country Population Projections

Population growth through 2050 is expected to be concentrated in a relatively small group of countries. The table below shows the 10 countries projected to add the most people by 2050 and each country's share of total global growth over that period. The United States ranks 14th. Together, these 10 countries represent 60.3% of projected global population growth by 2050.

Country
Growth by 2050 ↓
% of Global Growth
India FlagIndia202,960,00014.88%
Nigeria FlagNigeria116,754,0008.56%
Pakistan FlagPakistan112,564,0008.25%
DR Congo FlagDR Congo101,794,0007.46%
Ethiopia FlagEthiopia86,120,0006.32%
Tanzania FlagTanzania57,057,2004.18%
Egypt FlagEgypt41,529,0003.05%
Bangladesh FlagBangladesh36,891,0002.71%
Angola FlagAngola34,080,2002.5%
Indonesia FlagIndonesia32,826,0002.41%

As shown in the visualization below, the world's 10 most populous countries are expected to shift considerably by 2050 and 2100. Most striking is the projected rise of four African nations (Nigeria, DR Congo, Ethiopia, and Tanzania) which are forecast to rank among the nine most populous countries by century's end. Meanwhile, China is projected to hold onto second place despite a dramatic decline in population.

Countries with largest populations

Asia
South America
Africa
North America
2026
India 1.48B
China 1.41B
United States 349M
Indonesia 288M
Pakistan 259M
Nigeria 242M
Brazil 214M
Bangladesh 178M
Russia 143M
Ethiopia 139M
2050
India 1.68B
China 1.26B
United States 381M
Pakistan 372M
Nigeria 359M
Indonesia 321M
Ethiopia 225M
DR Congo 218M
Brazil 217M
Bangladesh 215M
2100
India 1.50B
China 633M
Pakistan 511M
Nigeria 477M
DR Congo 431M
United States 421M
Ethiopia 367M
Indonesia 296M
Tanzania 263M
Bangladesh 209M

Life Expectancy and World Population

Global life expectancy has improved in recent years, rising to 73.8 years in 2026, which is almost 10 years longer than in 1990. Global life expectancy is projected to continue to increase, reaching 77.0 years by the year 2050.

Life expectancy has a significant impact on the ability to maintain its replacement rate, the level at which the country's death rate is balanced or exceeded by its birth rate. In countries whose birth rates are either deliberately low or unintentionally so, the death rate may be higher, resulting in overall population decline.

Global Population by Age and Sex

Although the world's population is currently increasing, trends indicate that the rate of growth in many countries, especially developed countries and those with high populations, is slowing down. By the end of this century, even the world's fastest-growing countries are expected to have reached peak population size and begun to display declining (or negative) growth rates.

Many factors contribute to population decline and related metrics such as fertility rates. These include increased access to birth control and family planning, an increase in overall quality of life and the human development index, and various other cultural, political, social, and economic factors These include some factors that may not initially seem related to birth rate, such as the population's general level of education and the government's per-capita health expenditure.

Countries Grouped by Population

Countries over 1B population (2)

Country
2026 Pop. ↓
India FlagIndia1,476,630,000
China FlagChina1,412,910,000

India is currently the most populous country in the world, with a population estimated at 1.5B as of 2026. India surpassed China as the world's most populous country in 2023. Only one other country in the world boasts a population of more than 1 billion people: China, whose population is estimated to be 1.4B people.

While India's population is projected to continue to grow until 2062, China's population is currently declining slightly.

Countries between 100M and 1B (14)

Country
2026 Pop. ↓
United States FlagUnited States349,035,000
Indonesia FlagIndonesia287,887,000
Pakistan FlagPakistan259,300,000
Nigeria FlagNigeria242,432,000
Brazil FlagBrazil213,563,000
Bangladesh FlagBangladesh177,818,000
Russia FlagRussia143,394,000
Ethiopia FlagEthiopia138,902,000
Mexico FlagMexico132,998,000
Japan FlagJapan122,428,000
Egypt FlagEgypt120,101,000
Philippines FlagPhilippines117,724,000
DR Congo FlagDR Congo116,452,000
Vietnam FlagVietnam102,177,000

While Russia and Japan are currently experiencing population decline, the rest of these countries are seeing population growth.

Page: Countries with Declining Population

Least Populous Countries (8)

219 countries have fewer than 100 million people. The smallest country in the world in terms of both population and total area is Vatican City, where only 506 people reside.

Page: Smallest Countries

Population Ranges of Countries

Population range
# of countries
Over 1 billion2
100 million - 1 billion14
10 million - 100 million78
1 million - 10 million66
Under 1 million75
Page: Fastest Growing Countries

Definitions & Methodology

235 countries are counted based on:

  • Inclusion of dependent territories that are not fully independent countries but are politically or geographically distinct (for example: Hong Kong, Puerto Rico, and Greenland).
  • Inclusion of disputed territories that are recognized separately by some countries or organizations but not universally recognized as independent nations (for example: Taiwan, Western Sahara, and Kosovo).
  • Inclusion of special administrative regions with a high degree of autonomy (for example: Macau and Gibraltar).
  • Inclusion of microstates and dependencies that are often tracked independently despite very small populations (for example: Monaco, San Marino, Andorra, and the Isle of Man).
Last Updated: May 6, 2026

Sources

  1. World Population Prospects (2024 Revision) - United Nations population estimates and projections.
  2. Historical Estimates of World Population