Which is the Most populated country in the World Top 10 , 20, 50 populated country in the World : India had passed China to become the most populous country in the world, as of early 2026. India has 1.46 billion people and now accounts for more than 17 percent of global population, while China — with a shrinking population of about 1.40 billion people — follows behind.
Important Information of Most Populated Countries (2026):
India: 1.464 B (fast growing, strong youth population).
China: 1.406 billion (plummeting):
United States: 342 million (driven by migration).
Indonesia: 287 million (youthful demographics).
Pakistan: 259 million (rapid growth).
India’s population is projected to keep growing and peak around 2060, while China’s will undergo a sustained drop, the Worldometer data showed.
Top 10 Most Populated Countries (March 2026 Estimates)
| Rank | Country | Estimated Population | % of World Share |
| 1 | India | ~1.47 Billion | 17.8% |
| 2 | China | ~1.41 Billion | 17.0% |
| 3 | United States | ~349 Million | 4.2% |
| 4 | Indonesia | ~287 Million | 3.5% |
| 5 | Pakistan | ~259 Million | 3.1% |
| 6 | Nigeria | ~242 Million | 2.9% |
| 7 | Brazil | ~213 Million | 2.6% |
| 8 | Bangladesh | ~177 Million | 2.1% |
| 9 | Russia | ~143 Million | 1.7% |
| 10 | Ethiopia | ~138 Million | 1.6% |
Top 50 Most Populated Countries (March 2026 Estimates)
Note on Data: These figures represent estimated national populations in March 2026, based on analysis of official censuses and projections by national statistical offices and international organizations (e.g., the UN and World Bank). Figures are rounded to the nearest 10,000.
| Rank | Country | Estimated Population | Median Age (approx.) | Share of World |
| 1 | India | 1,471,320,000 | 29.1 | 17.82% |
| 2 | China | 1,410,180,000 | 39.4 | 17.08% |
| 3 | United States | 349,600,000 | 39.1 | 4.23% |
| 4 | Indonesia | 287,450,000 | 31.6 | 3.48% |
| 5 | Pakistan | 259,100,000 | 22.1 | 3.13% |
| 6 | Nigeria | 242,390,000 | 18.2 | 2.93% |
| 7 | Brazil | 213,850,000 | 34.5 | 2.59% |
| 8 | Bangladesh | 177,100,000 | 29.2 | 2.14% |
| 9 | Russia | 143,620,000 | 40.5 | 1.74% |
| 10 | Ethiopia | 138,400,000 | 19.8 | 1.67% |
| 11 | Mexico | 131,050,000 | 30.8 | 1.59% |
| 12 | Japan | 122,810,000 | 49.3 | 1.49% |
| 13 | Egypt | 118,500,000 | 25.1 | 1.43% |
| 14 | Philippines | 117,920,000 | 25.9 | 1.43% |
| 15 | DR Congo | 114,100,000 | 17.4 | 1.38% |
| 16 | Vietnam | 101,230,000 | 34.1 | 1.23% |
| 17 | Iran | 91,200,000 | 34.1 | 1.10% |
| 18 | Turkey | 86,510,000 | 33.7 | 1.05% |
| 20 | Germany | 83,600,000 | 46.2 | 1.01% |
| 21 | Tanzania | 71,500,000 | 18.5 | 0.86% |
| 22 | France | 68,750,000 | 42.1 | 0.83% |
| 23 | Thailand | 67,610,000 | 41.2 | 0.82% |
| 24 | United Kingdom | 67,550,000 | 41.5 | 0.82% |
| 25 | South Africa | 62,500,000 | 28.2 | 0.76% |
| 26 | Italy | 58,120,000 | 48.0 | 0.70% |
| 27 | Myanmar | 55,200,000 | 31.0 | 0.67% |
| 28 | Kenya | 55,100,000 | 20.9 | 0.67% |
| 29 | Colombia | 53,800,000 | 32.5 | 0.65% |
| 30 | South Korea | 51,700,000 | 45.4 | 0.63% |
| 31 | Spain | 47,810,000 | 45.5 | 0.58% |
| 32 | Uganda | 47,800,000 | 17.1 | 0.58% |
| 33 | Argentina | 47,510,000 | 32.7 | 0.57% |
| 34 | Algeria | 47,110,000 | 29.3 | 0.57% |
| 35 | Iraq | 47,100,000 | 21.6 | 0.57% |
| 36 | Sudan | 47,000,000 | 20.0 | 0.57% |
| 37 | Canada | 41,250,000 | 41.5 | 0.50% |
| 38 | Afghanistan | 41,100,000 | 19.3 | 0.50% |
| 39 | Ukraine | 39,500,000 | 42.1 | 0.48% |
| 40 | Angola | 38,500,000 | 17.5 | 0.47% |
| 41 | Poland | 37,550,000 | 42.5 | 0.45% |
| 42 | Morocco | 37,100,000 | 30.5 | 0.45% |
| 43 | Uzbekistan | 36,900,000 | 28.2 | 0.45% |
| 44 | Saudi Arabia | 36,500,000 | 32.2 | 0.44% |
| 45 | Malaysia | 35,600,000 | 30.6 | 0.43% |
| 46 | Mozambique | 35,100,000 | 18.3 | 0.42% |
| 47 | Ghana | 35,000,000 | 21.9 | 0.42% |
| 48 | Peru | 34,920,000 | 31.8 | 0.42% |
| 49 | Yemen | 34,910,000 | 20.1 | 0.42% |
| 50 | Nepal | 32,500,000 | 25.8 | 0.39% |
Key Demographic Insights
India’s Growth: India boasts a much younger population than China, with an approximate median age of 29. This “demographic dividend” is likely to maintain India’s #1 position for the rest of the century.
China’s Decline: After decades of birth control policies and rising living costs, China’s population peaked around 2021-2022 and is now gently declining.
The African Surge India and China may be the giants of today, but Nigeria and Ethiopia are among the rapidly catching up. By 2050 it is forecast that Nigeria may just surpass the United States to become the third largest country by population.
Around the world, we estimate there are over 8.3 billion people on earth right now!
