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Top 10 Companies by Number of Employees in the World

The ten largest employers in the world, ranked by total workforce headcount, from Walmart's 2.1 million associates to the vast labor forces of Chinese state-owned enterprises.

Updated July 31, 2026 10 ranked 3 sources

Quick answer: 1. Walmart Inc., 2. Amazon.com Inc., 3. McDonald's Corporation, 4. China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), 5. State Grid Corporation of China, 6. China Post Group, 7. Accenture PLC, 8. China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec), 9. United States Postal Service (USPS), 10. Foxconn (Hon Hai Precision Industry).

The world's largest employers are massive operations that span continents, manage complex supply chains, and employ more people than the populations of many countries. From retail giants and fast-food chains to government-owned postal services and energy companies, these organizations are deeply embedded in the global economy. Walmart alone employs over 2.1 million people — more than the population of New Mexico. This list ranks the top ten companies by total number of employees worldwide, based on the most recent annual filings and public disclosures. Figures represent full-time and part-time employees as reported in each company's latest annual report, typically for fiscal years ending in 2025 or early 2026.

Employees (millions)

Employees (millions)
Walmart Inc.
2.1 million
Amazon.com Inc.
1.6 million
McDonald's Corporation
1.2 million
China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC)
1.1 million
State Grid Corporation of China
0.9 million
China Post Group
0.9 million
Accenture PLC
0.8 million
China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec)
0.8 million
United States Postal Service (USPS)
0.6 million
Foxconn (Hon Hai Precision Industry)
0.6 million

The ranking

1

Walmart Inc.

Walmart is the world's largest private employer, with approximately 2.1 million associates worldwide. The Arkansas-based retail giant operates over 10,500 stores in 19 countries, including Walmart discount stores, Supercenters, Neighborhood Markets, and Sam's Club warehouses. Despite its enormous workforce, Walmart has been investing heavily in automation and self-checkout technology, which has slowed the pace of headcount growth in recent years. The company's massive logistics network is one of the largest private supply chains on Earth.

Headquarters: Bentonville, Arkansas, USAIndustry: RetailFounded: 1962Revenue (FY2025): billion
2

Amazon.com Inc.

Amazon is the world's second-largest private employer, with approximately 1.55 million employees worldwide. The e-commerce and cloud computing giant's workforce includes warehouse and logistics workers, corporate employees at its Seattle headquarters, AWS engineers, and Whole Foods Market staff. Amazon's headcount peaked at over 1.6 million in early 2022 before a round of layoffs in 2023. The company remains one of the largest hirers globally, particularly during its seasonal peak periods when it adds hundreds of thousands of temporary workers.

Headquarters: Seattle, Washington, USAIndustry: E-commerce / Cloud ComputingFounded: 1994Revenue (FY2025): $638 billion
3

McDonald's Corporation

McDonald's employs approximately 1.2 million people across its company-owned and franchised restaurants worldwide. The fast-food giant operates over 40,000 restaurants in more than 100 countries. While McDonald's corporate and company-owned locations employ about 200,000 people directly, the vast majority of its workforce works at independently owned franchise locations. McDonald's is the largest restaurant chain in the world by revenue and has been a bellwether for the global fast-food industry for decades.

Headquarters: Chicago, Illinois, USAIndustry: Fast Food / RestaurantsFounded: 1955Revenue (FY2025): $26 billion
4

China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC)

CNPC is one of the world's largest oil and gas companies and a major state-owned enterprise of the Chinese government, employing approximately 1.1 million people. The company is the parent of PetroChina, which is publicly traded on the Hong Kong and Shanghai stock exchanges. CNPC's operations span the entire oil and gas value chain, from exploration and production to refining, marketing, and pipeline transportation. The company is one of China's most important strategic state assets and a key player in global energy markets.

Headquarters: Beijing, ChinaIndustry: Oil & Gas / EnergyFounded: 1988Revenue (FY2025): $413 billion
5

State Grid Corporation of China

The State Grid Corporation of China is the world's largest electric utility company, employing approximately 870,000 people. As a state-owned enterprise, it manages the transmission and distribution of electricity across most of China, serving over 1.1 billion customers. State Grid operates the world's largest ultra-high-voltage (UHV) power transmission network, enabling the efficient transfer of electricity across China's vast territory. The company has been a leader in smart grid technology and renewable energy integration.

Headquarters: Beijing, ChinaIndustry: Electric UtilityFounded: 2002Revenue (FY2025): $545 billion
6

China Post Group

China Post Group is the national postal service of China and one of the largest employers in the world, with approximately 860,000 employees. The state-owned enterprise operates the world's largest postal network, serving over 1.4 billion people across China's vast territory, from megacities to remote rural villages. In addition to mail delivery, China Post has a significant banking arm (Postal Savings Bank of China) and logistics operations that compete with private courier services. The company processes billions of parcels annually.

Headquarters: Beijing, ChinaIndustry: Postal Services / LogisticsFounded: 1949Revenue (FY2025): $175 billion
7

Accenture PLC

Accenture is the world's largest consulting firm by headcount, employing approximately 790,000 people globally. The Ireland-domiciled professional services company provides management consulting, technology services, and outsourcing across virtually every industry. Accenture's workforce is spread across more than 120 countries, making it one of the most geographically diverse large employers. The company has been aggressively hiring in areas like artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and cybersecurity to meet surging demand for digital transformation services.

Headquarters: Dublin, IrelandIndustry: Professional Services / ConsultingFounded: 1989Revenue (FY2025): $68 billion
8

China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec)

Sinopec employs approximately 780,000 people, making it one of the world's largest oil and petrochemical companies. As a state-owned enterprise, Sinopec operates the largest oil refining capacity in Asia and a vast network of over 30,000 gas stations across China. The company is publicly traded on the Hong Kong, Shanghai, and New York stock exchanges. Sinopec, along with CNPC, dominates China's energy sector and is a major player in global petrochemical markets.

Headquarters: Beijing, ChinaIndustry: Oil & Gas / PetrochemicalsFounded: 2000Revenue (FY2025): $475 billion
9

United States Postal Service (USPS)

The United States Postal Service is an independent federal agency that employs approximately 635,000 career employees, making it the second-largest civilian employer in the United States after Walmart. The USPS delivers mail and packages to over 161 million addresses across the country, making it the largest postal service in the world by volume. Despite financial challenges from declining first-class mail volume, the USPS has seen package delivery grow significantly with the rise of e-commerce.

Headquarters: Washington, D.C., USAIndustry: Postal Services / LogisticsFounded: 1775Revenue (FY2025): $82 billion
10

Foxconn (Hon Hai Precision Industry)

Foxconn, formally known as Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., is the world's largest electronics manufacturer, employing approximately 620,000 people. The Taiwanese company is best known for assembling Apple's iPhones and iPads at massive factories in China, including the Zhengzhou facility that employs hundreds of thousands of workers. Foxconn's workforce fluctuates significantly with product release cycles, expanding during peak production periods for new iPhone launches. The company has been diversifying its manufacturing footprint into India, Vietnam, and Mexico.

Headquarters: New Taipei City, TaiwanIndustry: Electronics ManufacturingFounded: 1974Revenue (FY2025): $198 billion

Full comparison

# Name HeadquartersIndustryFoundedRevenue (FY2025)
1 Walmart Inc. Bentonville, Arkansas, USARetail1962 billion
2 Amazon.com Inc. Seattle, Washington, USAE-commerce / Cloud Computing1994$638 billion
3 McDonald's Corporation Chicago, Illinois, USAFast Food / Restaurants1955$26 billion
4 China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) Beijing, ChinaOil & Gas / Energy1988$413 billion
5 State Grid Corporation of China Beijing, ChinaElectric Utility2002$545 billion
6 China Post Group Beijing, ChinaPostal Services / Logistics1949$175 billion
7 Accenture PLC Dublin, IrelandProfessional Services / Consulting1989$68 billion
8 China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec) Beijing, ChinaOil & Gas / Petrochemicals2000$475 billion
9 United States Postal Service (USPS) Washington, D.C., USAPostal Services / Logistics1775$82 billion
10 Foxconn (Hon Hai Precision Industry) New Taipei City, TaiwanElectronics Manufacturing1974$198 billion

How we ranked this

Companies are ranked by total reported headcount (full-time and part-time employees combined) as disclosed in their most recent annual report or SEC filing. Figures are point-in-time snapshots as of each company's fiscal year-end. For US-listed companies, the 10-K filing is the primary source. For non-US companies, annual reports and regulatory filings are used. The ranking covers both publicly traded companies and state-owned enterprises that disclose workforce data. Data is sourced from corporate filings, tickerleague.com, and Statista.

FAQ

Which company employs the most people in the world?

Walmart is the largest private employer with approximately 2.1 million employees. However, if considering all organizations including state-owned enterprises, the Chinese military and the US Department of Defense are larger, but they are government agencies, not commercial companies.

How does Walmart's workforce compare to the population of countries?

Walmart's 2.1 million employees outnumber the populations of over 100 countries, including New Mexico, the US state with the closest population (2.1 million). It is roughly equivalent to the population of Slovenia or Latvia.

Are these numbers for full-time employees only?

The figures include both full-time and part-time employees as reported in each company's annual filings. For retailers like Walmart and McDonald's, a significant portion of the workforce is part-time. The numbers are point-in-time snapshots at each company's fiscal year-end.

Sources