Which are the 20 most populated countries?
The top 20 countries hold 69 percent of the world's people. 11 of them are in Asia.
| # | Country | Population (2025) | Share of world | People per km² |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | India | 1,464,000,000 | 17.8% | 445 |
| 2 | China | 1,407,000,000 | 17.2% | 147 |
| 3 | United States | 341,800,000 | 4.2% | 35 |
| 4 | Indonesia | 285,700,000 | 3.5% | 150 |
| 5 | Pakistan | 255,200,000 | 3.1% | 289 |
| 6 | Nigeria | 237,500,000 | 2.9% | 257 |
| 7 | Brazil | 212,800,000 | 2.6% | 25 |
| 8 | Bangladesh | 175,700,000 | 2.1% | 1,183 |
| 9 | Russia | 143,500,000 | 1.7% | 8 |
| 10 | Ethiopia | 135,500,000 | 1.7% | 123 |
| 11 | Mexico | 131,900,000 | 1.6% | 67 |
| 12 | Japan | 123,400,000 | 1.5% | 326 |
| 13 | Egypt | 118,400,000 | 1.4% | 118 |
| 14 | Philippines | 116,800,000 | 1.4% | 389 |
| 15 | DR Congo | 112,800,000 | 1.4% | 48 |
| 16 | Vietnam | 101,600,000 | 1.2% | 307 |
| 17 | Iran | 92,420,000 | 1.1% | 56 |
| 18 | Turkey | 85,880,000 | 1.0% | 110 |
| 19 | Germany | 83,490,000 | 1.0% | 233 |
| 20 | Thailand | 71,620,000 | 0.9% | 140 |
India passed China in April 2023, by the UN's count, and the gap is now 57 million. India is still growing by about 9 million people a year, and China is shrinking. The UN expects India to keep growing until the early 2060s, to about 1.7 billion, and China to fall for the rest of the century.
The United States is the only country outside Asia and Africa in the top six. Nigeria at number six passed Brazil in the early 2020s and is growing faster than any other country in the top ten. Russia, the largest country by area, is ninth, and its population has been flat or falling since the early 1990s. Japan, twelfth, peaked at 128 million in 2008.
How many countries have more than 100 million people?
16. They are, in order: India (1.46 billion), China (1.41 billion), United States (342 million), Indonesia (286 million), Pakistan (255 million), Nigeria (238 million), Brazil (213 million), Bangladesh (176 million), Russia (144 million), Ethiopia (136 million), Mexico (132 million), Japan (123 million), Egypt (118 million), Philippines (117 million), DR Congo (113 million) and Vietnam (102 million). Vietnam joined the list in 2023, and the next country in line is Iran at 92.4 million.
These 16 countries hold 65 percent of the world's people on 45 percent of its land. The other 180 countries share the rest.
Where do most people live?
Asia. 59 percent of the world's people live in Asia's 48 countries, and Africa is second with 19 percent. Europe, North America and South America together have less than a quarter.
| Continent | Countries | Population | Share of world | People per km² |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asia | 48 | 4.82 billion | 58.7% | 151 |
| Africa | 54 | 1.55 billion | 18.9% | 52 |
| Europe | 45 | 745.90 million | 9.1% | 32 |
| North America | 23 | 608.44 million | 7.4% | 27 |
| South America | 12 | 437.78 million | 5.3% | 25 |
| Oceania | 14 | 46.45 million | 0.6% | 5 |
Africa's share is rising and every other continent's share is falling. The UN projects that more than half of the world's population growth between now and 2050 will happen in Africa, and that Nigeria, DR Congo, Ethiopia and Tanzania will be among the countries adding the most people.
Population and area are different lists
Only five countries are in the top ten both by area and by population: China, India, the United States, Brazil and Russia, and Russia only just, at first by area and ninth by population. Canada and Australia are second and sixth by area, and 38th and 55th by population.
Bangladesh is the extreme case: 176 million people on 148,460 km², which is 1,183 per km². Russia has 8 per km² and Australia 3.6. The density ranking shows this for every country. On the map, switch from Area to Population and watch the boxes swap sizes. Russia shrinks to a tenth of India, and Bangladesh grows past every European country.
How do we count?
Population figures are the UN World Population Prospects 2024 estimates for the year 2025, as published by the World Bank in July 2026; Taiwan's figure is from the IMF. The UN revises the whole series every two years, and some countries move a lot. Yemen's 2025 estimate rose by about 20 percent in the latest revision. National censuses are older and less comparable, which is why almost every ranking uses the UN series. "Country" means the 196 countries on Perspective Map: every UN member except Vatican City, plus Taiwan, Kosovo and Palestine. Territories such as Puerto Rico and Hong Kong are not counted. More on the data.
Questions people ask
Which country has the largest population in the world?
India, with 1.46 billion people in the UN's 2025 estimate. China is second with 1.41 billion. India passed China in 2023.
What is the population of the world in 2025?
About 8.2 billion. The 196 countries on Perspective Map add up to 8.20 billion; the UN's figure for the whole world, including territories, is a little higher.
How many countries have more than 100 million people?
16: India, China, United States, Indonesia, Pakistan, Nigeria, Brazil, Bangladesh, Russia, Ethiopia, Mexico, Japan, Egypt, Philippines, DR Congo and Vietnam. Together they hold 65 percent of the world's population.
Which country has the largest population in Africa?
Nigeria, with 237.5 million people, sixth in the world. Ethiopia (135.5 million) and Egypt (118.4 million) are next.
Which country has the largest population in Europe?
Russia, with 143.5 million. Germany is second with 83.5 million, then the United Kingdom and France.
Which country has the largest population in the Americas?
The United States, with 341.8 million, then Brazil (212.8 million) and Mexico (131.9 million).
Which country has the smallest population?
Among the countries on the map, Tuvalu, with about 9,492 people, then Nauru (12,030) and Palau (17,660). Vatican City, with under 1,000 people, is not included because it publishes no GDP figure.
Is the population of China falling?
Yes. China's population has fallen every year since 2022, according to its National Bureau of Statistics, because births have dropped below deaths. The UN projects it to keep falling for the rest of the century.