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Absolute change in population from previous year (2026)

237/237 countries
Global290.6thousandYear-over-year-3.85%5-year change+8.29%
1950
2026
2100

Rankings at a glance

Top 10 · Absolute change in population from previous year (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%.

Rank changes

How absolute change in population from previous year changed between two years

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Frequently asked questions

Which country has the lowest population change?
China is projected to have the lowest population change at -3.1 million people in 2026, according to UN Population Division (2024).
Which country has the highest population change?
India is projected to have the highest population change at 12.7 million people in 2026, according to UN Population Division (2024).
What is the global average population change?
The global average population change across 237 countries is projected to be 290.6 thousand people in 2026, according to UN Population Division (2024).

Source: UN Population Division (2024) · Updated