Which country has the largest population in the world?
India is the world's most populous country, having overtaken China in 2023 on United Nations estimates, with well over 1.4 billion people. See the full India profile in the Magna Factbook.
The most-searched questions about world population, cities, age structure and migration — answered briefly, with a link to the Magna Bureau page that carries the full data.
Last updated: October 2026
India is the world's most populous country, having overtaken China in 2023 on United Nations estimates, with well over 1.4 billion people. See the full India profile in the Magna Factbook.
China is the world's second-most populous country, with over 1.4 billion people. See the full China profile in the Magna Factbook.
Vatican City (the Holy See) has the world's smallest population — only a few hundred residents. See the full Vatican City profile in the Magna Factbook.
In order: India, China, the United States, Indonesia, Pakistan, Nigeria, Brazil, Bangladesh, Russia and Mexico. Explore the Magna Factbook.
Nigeria, Ethiopia, Egypt, the DR Congo and Tanzania are Africa's five most populous countries. Explore the Magna Factbook.
India, China, Indonesia, Pakistan and Bangladesh are Asia's five most populous countries. Explore the Magna Factbook.
Counting transcontinental Russia, the five largest are Russia, Germany, the United Kingdom, France and Italy. Explore the Magna Factbook.
Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, Peru and Venezuela are South America's five most populous countries. Explore the Magna Factbook.
Depending on the definition used, the five largest are Egypt, Iran, Turkey, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Explore the Magna Factbook.
The United States, Mexico, Canada, Guatemala and Cuba are North America's five most populous countries. Explore the Magna Factbook.
Australia, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, Fiji and the Solomon Islands are Oceania's five most populous countries. Explore the Magna Factbook.
The ten largest are Egypt, Sudan, Algeria, Iraq, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Syria, Tunisia and Jordan. Explore the Magna Factbook.
More than 8 billion people live in the world — the global population passed 8 billion in November 2022, according to the United Nations. Explore the Magna Factbook.
The European Union has about 450 million inhabitants across its 27 member states. Explore the Magna Factbook.
Nigeria is Africa's most populous country, with well over 200 million people. See the full Nigeria profile in the Magna Factbook.
Russia is the largest by total population; Germany is the largest country entirely within Europe, with about 84 million people. See the full Germany profile in the Magna Factbook.
India is Asia's most populous country and the most populous country on Earth. See the full India profile in the Magna Factbook.
Brazil is South America's most populous country, with over 210 million people. See the full Brazil profile in the Magna Factbook.
Egypt is the most populous country usually counted in the Middle East, with over 110 million people; Iran is the largest if Egypt is counted as North Africa. See the full Egypt profile in the Magna Factbook.
Algeria is the Maghreb's most populous country, with over 45 million people. See the full Algeria profile in the Magna Factbook.
Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia together have about 95 million people — roughly 46 million in Algeria, 37 million in Morocco and 12 million in Tunisia. Explore the Magna Factbook.
The Sahel belt holds well over 100 million people; the exact total depends on which countries are counted in the Sahel. Explore the Magna Factbook.
Niger and several other Sahelian and Central African countries post the world's fastest population growth rates, driven by very high fertility. See the full Niger profile in the Magna Factbook.
Countries such as Japan, Bulgaria and Latvia are among the slowest-growing, with populations that are flat or shrinking. See the full Japan profile in the Magna Factbook.
Japan, China (since 2022), Russia, Italy, South Korea and much of Eastern Europe have shrinking populations. See the full Japan profile in the Magna Factbook.
Monaco has by far the world's highest population density, with tens of thousands of residents per square kilometre. See the full Monaco profile in the Magna Factbook.
Mongolia has the world's lowest population density of any sovereign state — only about two people per square kilometre. See the full Mongolia profile in the Magna Factbook.
Mongolia has the most land per person of any sovereign state, followed by sparsely populated countries such as Namibia and Australia. See the full Mongolia profile in the Magna Factbook.
The BRICS countries together hold well over 3 billion people — roughly 40% of humanity. Explore the Magna Factbook.
The G7 countries together have about 770 million people — roughly a tenth of the world population. Explore the Magna Factbook.
NATO's member countries together have about 1 billion people. Explore the Magna Factbook.
The Arab League's 22 member states together have about 470 million people. Explore the Magna Factbook.
The African Union's member states together have about 1.5 billion people. Explore the Magna Factbook.
The Maghreb countries — Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Mauritania — together have about 105–110 million people. Explore the Magna Factbook.
Niger has the world's youngest population, with a median age of about 15. See the full Niger profile in the Magna Factbook.
Monaco and Japan have the world's oldest populations, with median ages around the mid-50s in Monaco and about 49 in Japan. See the full Japan profile in the Magna Factbook.
The median age of the world population is about 30. Explore the Magna Factbook.
Niger has Africa's youngest population, with a median age of about 15. See the full Niger profile in the Magna Factbook.
Monaco has Europe's oldest population; among larger European states, Italy has the oldest, with a median age of about 48. See the full Italy profile in the Magna Factbook.
Japan has Asia's oldest population, with a median age of about 49. See the full Japan profile in the Magna Factbook.
Africa's median age is about 19 — the youngest of any continent. Explore the Magna Factbook.
Europe's median age is about 44 — the oldest of any continent. Explore the Magna Factbook.
Asia's median age is about 32, between young South Asia and ageing East Asia. Explore the Magna Factbook.
The Middle East's median age is in the late twenties, though it varies widely — from very young Yemen to ageing Gulf states with large expatriate workforces. Explore the Magna Factbook.
Niger, Uganda, Chad, Mali, Angola and several other sub-Saharan African countries have median ages under 20. Explore the Magna Factbook.
Japan, Monaco, Italy, Germany, Portugal and several other European countries have median ages over 45. Explore the Magna Factbook.
Nigeria has one of the world's highest youth dependency ratios — nearly half of its population is under 15. See the full Nigeria profile in the Magna Factbook.
About 60% of Africa's population is under 25 — the youngest age structure of any continent. Explore the Magna Factbook.
Japan has the world's highest share of people over 65, at nearly 30% of its population, followed by Italy and other ageing European states. See the full Japan profile in the Magna Factbook.
Niger has the world's highest birth rate, reflecting the world's highest fertility rate. See the full Niger profile in the Magna Factbook.
South Korea has among the world's lowest birth rates, with Monaco and Singapore also near the bottom. See the full South Korea profile in the Magna Factbook.
Niger has the world's highest fertility rate, at around 6 children per woman. See the full Niger profile in the Magna Factbook.
Niger's total fertility rate is around 6 children per woman — the highest in the world. See the full Niger profile in the Magna Factbook.
South Korea's total fertility rate is below 1 child per woman — the lowest in the world. See the full South Korea profile in the Magna Factbook.
Life expectancy in Japan is around 84–85 years, among the highest in the world. See the full Japan profile in the Magna Factbook.
Monaco and Japan have the world's highest life expectancies, at around 85 years and above. See the full Japan profile in the Magna Factbook.
Chad, Nigeria and the Central African Republic are among the countries with the lowest life expectancies, in the mid-50s. See the full Chad profile in the Magna Factbook.
The global infant mortality rate is roughly 26 deaths per 1,000 live births, down sharply from a generation ago — but far higher in sub-Saharan Africa than in rich countries. Explore the Magna Factbook.
Global life expectancy is about 71–73 years, after decades of steady gains interrupted briefly by the COVID-19 pandemic. Explore the Magna Factbook.
Tokyo is the world's largest city by metropolitan-area population, with about 37 million people in greater Tokyo. See the Tokyo city profile.
By metropolitan area, the ten largest are Tokyo, Delhi, Shanghai, São Paulo, Mexico City, Cairo, Mumbai, Beijing, Dhaka and Osaka — though rankings shift with city-boundary definitions. Explore the Bureau's world cities index.
Africa's ten largest cities include Lagos, Kinshasa, Cairo, Alexandria, Johannesburg, Dar es Salaam, Casablanca, Addis Ababa, Luanda and Abidjan. Explore the Bureau's world cities index.
Asia's ten largest cities include Tokyo, Delhi, Shanghai, Dhaka, Beijing, Mumbai, Osaka, Karachi, Chongqing and Istanbul. Explore the Bureau's world cities index.
Europe's ten largest cities include Istanbul, Moscow, London, Paris, Madrid, Barcelona, Berlin, Milan, Rome and Saint Petersburg — counting transcontinental Istanbul and Moscow. Explore the Bureau's world cities index.
Tokyo is Asia's largest city by metropolitan-area population, with about 37 million people. See the Tokyo city profile.
Lagos is generally ranked as Africa's largest city by metropolitan population, with Kinshasa close behind or ahead on some UN estimates. See the Lagos city profile.
Cairo is the Middle East's largest city, with Istanbul close behind. See the Cairo city profile.
Cairo is the Arab world's largest city, with a metropolitan population of over 20 million. See the Cairo city profile.
Casablanca is the Maghreb's largest city, ahead of Algiers and Tunis. See the Casablanca city profile.
Lagos is West Africa's largest city — and the largest city in Africa. See the Lagos city profile.
Dar es Salaam is East Africa's largest city, ahead of Addis Ababa and Nairobi. See the Dar es Salaam city profile.
Johannesburg is Southern Africa's largest city. See the Johannesburg city profile.
Cairo is North Africa's largest city, with a metropolitan population of over 20 million. See the Cairo city profile.
São Paulo is South America's largest city, with a metropolitan population of over 22 million. See the São Paulo city profile.
Mexico City is North America's largest city, with a metropolitan population of over 22 million. See the Mexico City city profile.
Jakarta is Southeast Asia's largest city, with Manila's metropolitan area close behind. See the Jakarta city profile.
Delhi is South Asia's largest city, with a metropolitan population exceeding 30 million. See the New Delhi city profile.
Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, is Central Asia's largest city. See the Tashkent city profile.
Singapore, Qatar and Kuwait are among the most urbanized countries, with nearly their entire populations living in urban areas. See the full Singapore profile in the Magna Factbook.
Libya and Djibouti are among Africa's most urbanized countries, with roughly four-fifths of their populations in urban areas. See the full Libya profile in the Magna Factbook.
Qatar, Kuwait and the UAE are the Arab world's most urbanized countries, with well over 90% of their populations in urban areas. See the full Qatar profile in the Magna Factbook.
Cities in sub-Saharan Africa — led by Kinshasa, Lagos and Dar es Salaam — are urbanizing faster than anywhere else on Earth. Explore the Bureau's world cities index.
About 57–58% of the world population lives in urban areas, and the share keeps rising. Explore the Bureau's world cities index.
Delhi's metropolitan area has a population exceeding 30 million, making it the world's second-largest urban area. See the New Delhi city profile.
São Paulo's metropolitan area has over 22 million people, the largest urban area in the Americas. See the São Paulo city profile.
The New York–Newark metropolitan area has about 19–20 million people — the largest metro area in the United States. See the New York City city profile.
The Los Angeles metropolitan area has about 12–13 million people, the second-largest metro area in the United States. See the Los Angeles city profile.
Lagos is generally ranked larger than Cairo by metropolitan-area population, though estimates for both vary by boundary definitions. See the Lagos city profile.
Tokyo's greater area remains slightly ahead of Delhi in most metropolitan rankings, though Delhi is growing faster and estimates vary. See the Tokyo city profile.
By most metropolitan-area counts, yes — Lagos is Africa's largest city, with Kinshasa its closest rival. See the Lagos city profile.
On some UN metropolitan estimates Kinshasa has overtaken Lagos; on others Lagos still leads — the answer depends on where each city's boundaries are drawn. See the Kinshasa city profile.
There are more than 30 megacities — urban areas with over 10 million people — in the world, most of them in Asia and Africa. Explore the Bureau's world cities index.
Lagos, Kinshasa and Cairo all exceed 10 million, and by some counts Johannesburg, Alexandria and Dar es Salaam do too. Explore the Bureau's world cities index.
UN projections put Delhi, Dhaka, Kinshasa and Lagos among the world's largest cities by 2050, as growth concentrates in South Asia and Africa. Explore the Bureau's world cities index.
The United States has by far the world's largest immigrant population, with over 50 million foreign-born residents. See the full the United States profile in the Magna Factbook.
India has the world's largest emigrant population, with about 18 million Indians living abroad. See the full India profile in the Magna Factbook.
The United States receives the most migrants of any country, year after year. See the full the United States profile in the Magna Factbook.
In absolute numbers, the United States has the highest net migration — it gains more migrants than any other country. See the full the United States profile in the Magna Factbook.
Countries in crisis — Syria, Venezuela and Ukraine among them — post the most negative net migration, as millions flee war and collapse. See the full Syria profile in the Magna Factbook.
The United States has a positive net migration rate — it gains several hundred thousand net migrants a year. See the full the United States profile in the Magna Factbook.
The United Kingdom has a positive net migration rate, with net migration in the hundreds of thousands in recent years. See the full the United Kingdom profile in the Magna Factbook.
About 280–300 million people live outside their country of birth — roughly 3.5% of humanity. Explore the Magna Factbook.
The Mexico–United States corridor is the world's largest migration corridor, with millions of Mexican-born residents in the US. See the full Mexico profile in the Magna Factbook.
India, Mexico, China and Russia have the world's largest diasporas. See the full India profile in the Magna Factbook.
The Indian diaspora is about 18 million people — the largest in the world. See the full India profile in the Magna Factbook.
The Mexican diaspora is about 11–12 million people, the large majority of them in the United States. See the full Mexico profile in the Magna Factbook.
The Moroccan diaspora is about 5 million people, concentrated in France, Spain, Italy and the Benelux countries. See the full Morocco profile in the Magna Factbook.
Luxembourg has the highest share, with nearly half of its residents foreign-born, followed by Switzerland and Monaco. See the full Luxembourg profile in the Magna Factbook.
Qatar and the UAE have the highest shares of foreign workers in the Gulf — expatriates are the large majority of the population in both. See the full Qatar profile in the Magna Factbook.
About 85–90% of the UAE's population are expatriates. See the full the UAE profile in the Magna Factbook.
About 85–90% of Qatar's population are expatriates. See the full Qatar profile in the Magna Factbook.
There are about 36–40 million refugees under UNHCR's mandate, plus millions more displaced inside their own countries. Explore the Magna Factbook.
Turkey has hosted the most refugees in recent years, followed by Iran, Germany and Pakistan. See the full Turkey profile in the Magna Factbook.
Syria produces the most refugees of any country, followed by Afghanistan, Ukraine and Venezuela. See the full Syria profile in the Magna Factbook.
Turkey hosts more than 3 million Syrians under temporary protection, plus refugees of other nationalities. See the full Turkey profile in the Magna Factbook.
Germany hosts about 2.5 million refugees, including large Syrian and Ukrainian populations. See the full Germany profile in the Magna Factbook.
Pakistan hosts more than 1.5 million Afghan refugees, one of the world's largest refugee populations. See the full Pakistan profile in the Magna Factbook.
There are about 70–75 million internally displaced people worldwide — people forced from home who have not crossed a border. Explore the Magna Factbook.
Sudan has the world's largest internally displaced population, driven by its civil war, followed by Syria, the DR Congo and Colombia. See the full Sudan profile in the Magna Factbook.
Conflict and jihadist violence, climate stress on farming and herding, poverty and one of the world's fastest-growing populations are driving migration from the Sahel. Explore the Magna Factbook.
Gang violence, poverty, corruption, climate shocks to farming and family reunification drive migration from Central America, above all towards the United States. Explore the Magna Factbook.
Mediterranean crossings run from the tens of thousands to well over 100,000 per year, depending on the year and the route. Explore the Magna Factbook.
Hundreds of thousands of people crossed the Darien Gap annually at the 2023 peak, on the way north through the Americas. Explore the Magna Factbook.
Small Pacific island states such as Tonga and Samoa have the world's highest emigration rates relative to population. See the full Tonga profile in the Magna Factbook.
Yes — natural change in Europe is near zero or negative, so migration is what keeps Europe's population growing. Explore the Magna Factbook.
Africa's brain drain is the large-scale emigration of doctors, nurses, engineers and graduates — trained at African public expense — to richer countries. Explore the Magna Factbook.
Nigeria, Ghana, Zimbabwe and South Africa are among the African countries most affected by health-worker emigration, above all to the UK, the US and the Gulf. See the full Nigeria profile in the Magna Factbook.
More than 120 million people worldwide are forcibly displaced by war, persecution and violence, according to UNHCR. Explore the Magna Factbook.
India is the world's first-most populous country. See the profile for the latest population figure. See the full India profile in the Magna Factbook.
China is the world's second-most populous country. See the profile for the latest population figure. See the full China profile in the Magna Factbook.
the United States is the world's third-most populous country. See the profile for the latest population figure. See the full the United States profile in the Magna Factbook.
Indonesia is the world's fourth-most populous country. See the profile for the latest population figure. See the full Indonesia profile in the Magna Factbook.
Pakistan is the world's fifth-most populous country. See the profile for the latest population figure. See the full Pakistan profile in the Magna Factbook.
Nigeria is the world's sixth-most populous country. See the profile for the latest population figure. See the full Nigeria profile in the Magna Factbook.
Brazil is the world's seventh-most populous country. See the profile for the latest population figure. See the full Brazil profile in the Magna Factbook.
Bangladesh is the world's eighth-most populous country. See the profile for the latest population figure. See the full Bangladesh profile in the Magna Factbook.
Russia is the world's ninth-most populous country. See the profile for the latest population figure. See the full Russia profile in the Magna Factbook.
Mexico is the world's tenth-most populous country. See the profile for the latest population figure. See the full Mexico profile in the Magna Factbook.
Ethiopia is roughly the 11th most populous country in the world. See the profile for the latest population figure. See the full Ethiopia profile in the Magna Factbook.
Japan is roughly the 12th most populous country in the world. See the profile for the latest population figure. See the full Japan profile in the Magna Factbook.
the Philippines is roughly the 13th most populous country in the world. See the profile for the latest population figure. See the full the Philippines profile in the Magna Factbook.
Egypt is roughly the 14th most populous country in the world. See the profile for the latest population figure. See the full Egypt profile in the Magna Factbook.
Vietnam is roughly the 15th most populous country in the world. See the profile for the latest population figure. See the full Vietnam profile in the Magna Factbook.
the DR Congo is roughly the 16th most populous country in the world. See the profile for the latest population figure. See the full the DR Congo profile in the Magna Factbook.
Turkey is roughly the 17th most populous country in the world. See the profile for the latest population figure. See the full Turkey profile in the Magna Factbook.
Iran is roughly the 18th most populous country in the world. See the profile for the latest population figure. See the full Iran profile in the Magna Factbook.
Germany is roughly the 19th most populous country in the world. See the profile for the latest population figure. See the full Germany profile in the Magna Factbook.
Thailand is roughly the 20th most populous country in the world. See the profile for the latest population figure. See the full Thailand profile in the Magna Factbook.
the United Kingdom is roughly the 21th most populous country in the world. See the profile for the latest population figure. See the full the United Kingdom profile in the Magna Factbook.
France is roughly the 22th most populous country in the world. See the profile for the latest population figure. See the full France profile in the Magna Factbook.
Italy is roughly the 23th most populous country in the world. See the profile for the latest population figure. See the full Italy profile in the Magna Factbook.
Tanzania is roughly the 24th most populous country in the world. See the profile for the latest population figure. See the full Tanzania profile in the Magna Factbook.
South Africa is roughly the 25th most populous country in the world. See the profile for the latest population figure. See the full South Africa profile in the Magna Factbook.
Myanmar (Burma) is roughly the 26th most populous country in the world. See the profile for the latest population figure. See the full Myanmar (Burma) profile in the Magna Factbook.
Kenya is roughly the 27th most populous country in the world. See the profile for the latest population figure. See the full Kenya profile in the Magna Factbook.
South Korea is roughly the 28th most populous country in the world. See the profile for the latest population figure. See the full South Korea profile in the Magna Factbook.
Colombia is roughly the 29th most populous country in the world. See the profile for the latest population figure. See the full Colombia profile in the Magna Factbook.
Spain is roughly the 30th most populous country in the world. See the profile for the latest population figure. See the full Spain profile in the Magna Factbook.
India's median age is about 28 — a young population by world standards. See the full India profile in the Magna Factbook.
China's median age is about 39, after decades of falling fertility. See the full China profile in the Magna Factbook.
The median age in the United States is about 38. See the full the United States profile in the Magna Factbook.
Nigeria's median age is about 18 — one of the youngest large populations in the world. See the full Nigeria profile in the Magna Factbook.
Japan's median age is about 49 — among the oldest in the world. See the full Japan profile in the Magna Factbook.
Germany's median age is about 45, among the oldest in Europe. See the full Germany profile in the Magna Factbook.
Niger's median age is about 15 — the youngest population on Earth. See the full Niger profile in the Magna Factbook.
France's median age is about 42. See the full France profile in the Magna Factbook.
Brazil's median age is about 33, after a rapid fertility decline. See the full Brazil profile in the Magna Factbook.
Egypt's median age is about 25 — a young population for the Middle East. See the full Egypt profile in the Magna Factbook.
Russia's median age is about 40. See the full Russia profile in the Magna Factbook.
South Korea's median age is about 45, and rising fast as fertility falls to the world's lowest. See the full South Korea profile in the Magna Factbook.
The Tokyo metropolitan area has roughly 37 million people. See the Tokyo city profile.
The New Delhi metropolitan area has roughly 33 million people. See the New Delhi city profile.
The Shanghai metropolitan area has roughly 29 million people. See the Shanghai city profile.
The São Paulo metropolitan area has roughly 22 million people. See the São Paulo city profile.
The Mexico City metropolitan area has roughly 22 million people. See the Mexico City city profile.
The Cairo metropolitan area has roughly 21 million people. See the Cairo city profile.
The Mumbai metropolitan area has roughly 21 million people. See the Mumbai city profile.
The Beijing metropolitan area has roughly 21 million people. See the Beijing city profile.
The Dhaka metropolitan area has roughly 23 million people. See the Dhaka city profile.
The Osaka metropolitan area has roughly 19 million people. See the Osaka city profile.
The Karachi metropolitan area has roughly 17 million people. See the Karachi city profile.
The Buenos Aires metropolitan area has roughly 15 million people. See the Buenos Aires city profile.
The Chongqing metropolitan area has roughly 16 million people. See the Chongqing city profile.
The Istanbul metropolitan area has roughly 15 million people. See the Istanbul city profile.
The Kolkata metropolitan area has roughly 15 million people. See the Kolkata city profile.
The Manila metropolitan area has roughly 14 million people. See the Manila city profile.
The Lagos metropolitan area has roughly 16 million people. See the Lagos city profile.
The Rio de Janeiro metropolitan area has roughly 13 million people. See the Rio de Janeiro city profile.
The Tianjin metropolitan area has roughly 14 million people. See the Tianjin city profile.
The Guangzhou metropolitan area has roughly 14 million people. See the Guangzhou city profile.
About 82% of the United States population lives in urban areas. See the full the United States profile in the Magna Factbook.
About 65% of China's population lives in urban areas — up from under 20% in 1980. See the full China profile in the Magna Factbook.
About 36% of India's population lives in urban areas — a low share for such a large economy, but rising fast. See the full India profile in the Magna Factbook.
About 87% of Brazil's population lives in urban areas — among the highest rates in the world. See the full Brazil profile in the Magna Factbook.
About 52% of Nigeria's population lives in urban areas, and the share is rising quickly. See the full Nigeria profile in the Magna Factbook.
About 43% of Egypt's population lives in urban areas, mostly along the Nile and in the Cairo and Alexandria regions. See the full Egypt profile in the Magna Factbook.
About 81% of France's population lives in urban areas. See the full France profile in the Magna Factbook.
About 77% of Germany's population lives in urban areas. See the full Germany profile in the Magna Factbook.
About 92% of Japan's population lives in urban areas — one of the highest rates in the world. See the full Japan profile in the Magna Factbook.
About 64% of Morocco's population lives in urban areas, led by Casablanca, Rabat and Fès. See the full Morocco profile in the Magna Factbook.
Figures on this page are rounded summaries. The linked Factbook country profiles and city pages carry the full data and sources, and are re-read every month against primary sources (CIA World Factbook, World Bank, IMF, national statistics).