Annual population change (2026)

With 12.7 million in 2026, India is projected to lead the world in absolute change in population from previous year, followed by Nigeria (4.9 million) and Pakistan (4.1 million). The top 5 is rounded off by DR Congo (3.6 million) and Ethiopia (3.4 million). Further down, Indonesia (2.1 million) and Bangladesh (2.1 million) hold the next two spots. Tanzania (2.0 million), Egypt (1.7 million), and the United States (1.7 million) round out the top ten. Across the top ten, India would be 7.4× as high as the United States (1.7 million). Five of the top ten are in Africa. Among these countries, the United States is projected to see the largest year-over-year change at -5.0%.