The ten countries with the largest total populations in 2025, ranked using UN World Population Prospects 2024 estimates.
Quick answer: 1. India, 2. China, 3. United States, 4. Indonesia, 5. Pakistan, 6. Nigeria, 7. Brazil, 8. Bangladesh, 9. Russia, 10. Ethiopia.
This list ranks the world's ten most populous countries by their estimated total population in 2025, drawn from the United Nations World Population Prospects 2024 (median-variant) estimates. Together, these ten countries account for well over half of the roughly 8.2 billion people on Earth. It is a snapshot of a shifting picture: India now leads after overtaking China in 2023, several of these countries have already passed their population peak while others are still growing quickly, and the fast-growing entrants are increasingly in Africa. The list is for anyone comparing the demographic weight of nations — students, researchers, and readers who want the current order with the numbers behind it.
India is the world's most populous country, a title it took from China in 2023. The UN projects its population to keep growing until roughly the 2060s, so its lead is set to widen for decades.
China is the second most populous country and held the top spot for centuries. Its population peaked and began declining in 2023, and the UN classifies it among nations that have already passed their peak.
The United States is the third most populous country and the largest outside Asia. The UN projects continued growth through 2054, driven in part by net migration.
Indonesia is the most populous country in Southeast Asia and the largest Muslim-majority nation. Its population is projected by the UN to keep growing through 2054.
Pakistan is the fifth most populous country and has one of the faster growth rates among the top ten. The UN projects continued population growth through 2054 and beyond.
Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa. The UN highlights it among the handful of countries expected to account for roughly half of world population growth from 2024 to 2050.
Brazil is the most populous country in South America. The UN projects its population to peak somewhere between 2025 and 2054 before beginning to decline.
Bangladesh is the eighth most populous country and one of the most densely populated large nations. The UN projects its fertility to fall below replacement within about thirty years.
Russia is the most populous country in Europe and the largest nation by land area. The UN classifies it among countries whose populations have already peaked and are now declining.
Ethiopia is the second most populous country in Africa and the tenth in the world. With a young age structure, the UN projects continued rapid growth for decades.
| # | Name | region | capital | shareOfWorld |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | India | Asia | New Delhi | 17.8% |
| 2 | China | Asia | Beijing | 17.2% |
| 3 | United States | North America | Washington, D.C. | 4.2% |
| 4 | Indonesia | Asia | Jakarta | 3.5% |
| 5 | Pakistan | Asia | Islamabad | 3.1% |
| 6 | Nigeria | Africa | Abuja | 2.9% |
| 7 | Brazil | South America | Brasília | 2.6% |
| 8 | Bangladesh | Asia | Dhaka | 2.1% |
| 9 | Russia | Europe | Moscow | 1.8% |
| 10 | Ethiopia | Africa | Addis Ababa | 1.7% |
Countries are ranked by total resident population for the year 2025, in descending order (rank 1 = largest population). Population figures are the United Nations World Population Prospects 2024 median-variant estimates for the 2025 target year, as compiled and applied uniformly by StatRanker, Worldometer, and Statista; the UN Population Division is the primary data source. Inclusion criteria: only sovereign countries are counted — dependent territories and sub-national regions are excluded. The "shareOfWorld" fact is each country's population expressed as a percentage of the estimated 2025 world total of roughly 8.2 billion. Because these are model-based estimates rather than same-year censuses, exact values differ slightly between compilers, but the rank order of the top ten is consistent across all cited sources.
India, with an estimated 1.46 billion people in 2025 according to UN World Population Prospects 2024 median-variant estimates. India overtook China as the world's most populous country in 2023.
India overtook China in 2023. China's population peaked and began declining that same year, while India's continued to grow, and the UN classifies China among the countries that have already passed their population peak.
The figures are United Nations World Population Prospects 2024 median-variant estimates for 2025, as compiled and applied uniformly by StatRanker, Worldometer, and Statista. The UN Population Division is the primary data source. They are model-based estimates, so values can differ slightly between compilers even though the top-ten rank order is consistent.
The UN identifies a small group of mostly African and South Asian countries — including Nigeria, Ethiopia, Pakistan, and India — as accounting for a large share of projected growth. Nigeria and Ethiopia in particular have young age structures and are projected to keep growing for decades, while China, Russia, and eventually Brazil are past or nearing their peaks.