Year-over-year change: +1.8%, trend up
5-year change: -76.9%, trend down
Central African Republic
Population doubling time: 21.11 years
View MoreYears required for population to double at current growth rate
Global83.51years
19502100
2026
Rankings at a glance
Highest 10 · Years required for population to double at current growth rate (2026)
Barbados is projected to lead the world in years required for population to double at current growth rate, recording 2,666 years in 2026, followed by Grenada (2,666 years) and San Marino (778.82 years). Trinidad and Tobago (686.28 years) and Jersey (672.96 years) close out the top 5. Next up, Belgium (558.99 years) and Saint Kitts and Nevis (517.27 years). France (505.95 years), Nepal (481.35 years), and Guernsey (471.53 years) round out the top ten. The gap across the top ten is wide: Barbados would have 5.7× the value of Guernsey (471.53 years). Five of the top ten are in Europe. Among these countries, Grenada is projected to see the largest year-over-year change at +184.6%.
Rank changes
How years required for population to double at current growth rate changed between 2025 and 2026
2025and2026
Historical trends
Key terms
- Population growth rate
- — Annual percentage change in total population size.
- Population density
- — People per square kilometre of land area.
- Median age
- — Age at which half the population is younger and half is older.
- Sex ratio
- — Number of males per 100 females in the population.
Frequently asked questions
- Which country has the lowest population annual doubling time?
- The Central African Republic is projected to have the lowest population annual doubling time at 21.11 years in 2026, according to UN Population Division (2024).
- Which country has the highest population annual doubling time?
- Grenada is projected to have the highest population annual doubling time at 2,666 years in 2026, according to UN Population Division (2024).
- What is the global population annual doubling time?
- The global population annual doubling time is projected to be 83.51 years in 2026, as published by the United Nations in World Population Prospects 2024.
