Most Populous Countries

Top 20 most populated country in the world
Rank Country Population
1 China
1,355,692,544

2 India
1,236,344,576

3 United States
318,892,096

4 Indonesia
253,609,648

5 Brazil
202,656,784

6 Pakistan
196,174,384

7 Nigeria
177,155,760

8 Bangladesh
166,280,704

9 Russia
142,470,272

10 Japan
127,103,392

11 Mexico
120,286,656

12 Philippines
107,668,232

13 Ethiopia
96,633,456

14 Vietnam
93,421,832

15 Egypt
86,895,096

16 Turkey
81,619,392

17 Germany
80,996,688

18 Iran
80,840,712

19 Congo, Democratic Republic of the
77,433,744

20 Thailand
67,741,400

This table provides figures about the 50 most populous nations in the world as of July 2016. China is the most populous country with more than 1.4 billion residents. Since India’s population is close behind China at 1.3 billion, there could be a time when India surpasses its neighbour country in population. The estimated population of the world is 7.5 billion as of 2017.

RANK COUNTRY POPULATION
1 China
The majority of the population is located in the eastern half of the country. 1,373,541,278

2 India
A very high population density exists throughout the country, apart from the deserts in the northwest and the mountains in the north. 1,266,883,598

3 United States
Very densely populated urban areas are clustered along the east and the west coasts. There are 50 states in the U.S. and the nation started out with 13 colonies in North America. 323,995,528

4 Indonesia
Java is one of the most densely populated areas in the world. 258,316,051

5 Brazil
Most residents live along the Atlantic coast in the eastern part of the nation. 205,823,665

6 Pakistan
The Punjab province is the most densely populated area in Pakistan. 201,995,540

7 Nigeria
Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa. 186,053,386

8 Bangladesh
Bangladesh is not just one of the most populous countries but is also one of the most densely populated countries in the world. 156,186,882

9 Russia
Siberia has a population density of approximately three people per kilometer. Siberia has one-twelfth of the world’s land mass. 142,355,415

10 Japan
The population is most dense along the coasts. 126,702,133

11 Mexico
Approximately a quarter of the population lives in and around Mexico City. 123,166,749

12 Philippines
The Philipines population finally surpassed 100 million in 2014. 102,624,209

13 Ethiopia
The median age in Ethiopia is just under 18 years. 102,374,044

14 Vietnam
In geographic area, Vietnam is about twice the size of Arizona. 95,261,021

15 Egypt
Approximately 95 percent of the population lives within 20 kilometers of the Nile River and its delta. 94,666,993

16 Iran
Azerbaijanis constitute almost a quarter of the population. The nation’s population is concentrated in the north, northwest, and west. 82,801,633

17 Congo, Dem. Rep.
The country is the world’s largest francophone country. 81,331,050

18 Germany
Germany is the most populous country in Europe. 80,722,792

19 Turkey
The most densely populated area is located around the Bosporus Strait in the northwest. 80,274,604

20 Thailand
The highest population density in Thailand is found in and around Bangkok. 68,200,824