2026 Population Please enter your email address to receive this data in your inbox. 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. World Population Growth Rate While the world's total population is expected to continue to rise until roughly2085, 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 Please enter your email address to receive this data in your inbox. 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. 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. Please enter your email address to receive this data in your inbox. Please enter your email address to receive this data in your inbox. 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 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) Please enter your email address to receive this data in your inbox. Please enter your email address to receive this data in your inbox.

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) Please enter your email address to receive this data in your inbox. Please enter your email address to receive this data in your inbox. While Russia and Japan are currently experiencing population decline, the rest of these countries are seeing population growth. Least Populous Countries (8) Please enter your email address to receive this data in your inbox. Please enter your email address to receive this data in your inbox. 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. Population Ranges of 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). Average IQ by Country Average IQ by Country Safest Countries in the World Safest Countries in the World Happiest Countries in the World Happiest Countries in the World World Population Prospects (2024 Revision) - United Nations population estimates and projections. Historical Estimates of World Population Related Articles