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Population as of January 1st (2026)

237/237 countries
Global34,878,672peopleYear-over-year+0.82%5-year change+4.86%
1950
2026
2100

Rankings at a glance

Top 10 · Population as of January 1st (2026)

India is projected to top the global rankings for population as of January 1st, recording 1.5B people in 2026, followed by China (1.4B people) and the United States (348.2M people). Indonesia (286.8M people) and Pakistan (257.2M people) complete the top 5. Nigeria (240M people) and Brazil (213.2M people) follow close behind. Bangladesh (176.8M people), Russia (143.6M people), and Ethiopia (137.2M people) round out the top ten. The spread across the top ten is substantial: India would have 11× the figure recorded by Ethiopia (137.2M people). Five of the top ten are in Asia, with three from Southern Asia. Among these countries, Ethiopia is projected to see the largest year-over-year change at +2.6%.

Rank changes

How population as of January 1st changed between two years

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Scrub the slider above to a year, then tap the dashed slot to pin it. Pin a second year to see rank changes visualised.

Examples: 1950 → 2100, 2090 → 2100

Historical trends

All countries

Frequently asked questions

Which country has the lowest population as of 1 january?
The Holy See is projected to have the lowest population as of 1 january at 503 people in 2026, according to UN Population Division (2024).
Which country has the highest population as of 1 january?
India is projected to have the highest population as of 1 january at 1,470,295,711 people in 2026, according to UN Population Division (2024).
What is the global average population as of 1 january?
The global average population as of 1 january across 237 countries is projected to be 34,878,672 people in 2026, according to UN Population Division (2024).

Source: UN Population Division (2024) · Updated