According to the most recent counts, there are 7,862,287,345 people living on Earth. A baby is born every eight seconds, a death is reported every 12 seconds. All in all, the population is growing at a rapid pace! Below you will find the top 10 countries with the most inhabitants. Check animalerts for list of top 10 richest countries in the world.
The data in this list was last updated in May 2021. Japan‘s population is declining, which is why Mexico has taken over 10th place
10. Mexico – Population 126,014,024
On the American continent, only the United States has more inhabitants than Mexico. Only since 2019 has Mexico managed to secure a spot in this top 10, they have passed Japan. The population of Mexico is still growing, but at a much slower pace than a few years ago. This is partly due to emigration and fewer large families. However, the population of Japan is declining.
Mexico is the largest Spanish-speaking country in the world. Most of the inhabitants, almost 80% live in cities. The largest city is Mexico City with more than 12 million inhabitants, one of the largest cities in the world.
9. Russia – Population 146,171,015
Although Russia is home to many people, the country has a low population density . The majority of Russians live in European Russia, the Urals and southwestern Siberia. The north of the country as well as the Russian Far East are relatively sparsely populated. It is also striking that more than three quarters of the population of Russia live in the city. Russians find the capital Moscow the most popular city to live in.
In terms of population, this city is in the books as one of the fastest growing regions. The Islamic Republic of Dagestan also scores high. Here, the population increase is mainly a result of natural growth. Incidentally, population growth experienced a huge dip in the 1990s as a result of deteriorating economic conditions. The government is still offering programs to further raise fertility levels.
8. Bangladesh – Population 170,577,312
If you look at Bangladesh on a world map, the shape of this country probably reminds you of a kind of fan. Very decisive for the landscape here are the rivers Ganges and Brahmaputra with their many branches. The limited habitat makes Bangladesh one of the most densely populated countries in the world.
During the 20th century, the population has increased fivefold. In terms of composition, the population is quite homogeneous; 98% are ethnic Bengali. The remaining 2% include non-Bengali Muslims and various peoples living in the Chittagong Mountains. Bengali is also the official language of the country. The non-Bengali speak Urdu. English is also spoken within the government and, for example, in educational institutions.
7. Nigeria – Population 211,401,000
From the coastal mangrove and tropical rainforest to the savannah and grass steppe in the northwest; Nigeria has a very varied landscape. Then there is also the mountainous area in the east and of course the famous Niger Delta.
Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa. If the current population growth continues, the country will have more than 700,000,000 inhabitants by the year 2100!
The population composition is very diverse. There are no less than 250 different ethnic groups in Nigeria. The Haussa and Fulani in the north, the Igbo in the south and the Yoruba in the west are counted among the main ethnic groups.
6. Brazil – Population 213,066,609
Brazil has without a doubt the largest population on the South American continent. The origins of the Brazilians are very diverse; the population is a mix of Africans, Europeans and Indians. Also striking is the high number of Brazilians of Japanese descent. Outside of Japan, the country has the largest Japanese population in the world.
Despite all these influences, Brazilian culture is known as predominantly Western. This is reflected, among other things, in religion. For example, approximately 86% of the population is Christian, 5% has chosen another religion and 8% has no religion. The official language of Brazil is Portuguese.
5. Pakistan – Population 225,200,000
Pakistan has an area of 796,095 m2. The north of the country is mountainous. Here, for example, is the impressive K2. The south of Pakistan is mostly desert. The country’s main river is the Indus.
Pakistan has experienced massive population growth in the 20th century. The number of inhabitants has increased sevenfold! Most Pakistanis live in the city of Karachi. The Punjabis are the largest ethnic group in the country. Other important ethnic groups are the Pathans, Sindhis, Balochis, Muhajirs and the Seraikis. The mostly smaller groups live in the mountains. Pakistan also houses many refugees from neighboring Afghanistan.
4. Indonesia – 271,350,000 inhabitants
The island of Java is the most densely populated island in the world. No fewer than 130,000,000 Indonesians live here! Although the government has a fairly successful family planning program, the population is growing steadily. Indonesia is expected to have 297,000,000 inhabitants in the year 2035.
About 300 ethnic groups live in the country and 742 different languages and dialects are spoken. The Javanese form the largest group, 42% to be exact. The Sudanese, ethnic Malaysians and the Madurese are considered to be among the largest non-Javanese ethnic groups. You can imagine that the differences in religion and ethnic origin lead to tensions among the population to this day.
3. United States – Population 331,449,281
In 1776 the original states had less than 3,000,000 inhabitants, in 1915 there were 100,000,000 and in 1968 there were 200,000,000 in the United States. About 65% of the current population is of European origin. The Latinos are considered to be the largest ethnic minority. Then you should think of people of Mexican, Puerto Rican and Cuban origin. The African-American population is about 12% of the total population. About 4.5% of the population are people of Chinese, Filipino, Indian, Vietnamese, Korean and Japanese descent. Especially in the period between 1890 and 1924, immigration reached unprecedented proportions.
2. India – Population 1,376,318,536
In 2020, a census in India still yields different figures. Based on the official figures, the country now has 1,363,314,879 inhabitants. The difference with the previous country is simply too great to doubt India’s second place in this list. More than 72% of the population lives in rural areas. India therefore has 638,588 villages. This fact prevents an exact count of the total number of inhabitants. In connection with the many villages, India is divided into a large number of ethnic groups. The Indo-Aryans mainly live in North and Central India and the dark-colored Dravidians in the south. These groups speak a different language. Many small groups live in between.
1. China – 1,407,722,000 inhabitants
China is without a doubt the largest country in the world in terms of population. Although the country is home to various nationalities, the Han Chinese are the largest group at 94%. The smaller groups, of which the Uyghurs form the largest group, mainly live in the north and southwest of the country.
Although it is called ‘Chinese’, different languages are spoken in China. People don’t understand each other more than they do! But for political and economic reasons, China believes it is important to form a whole outwardly. As the language also has many dialects, the term ‘Chinese culture’ refers to a multitude of traditions and religious practices, as they existed in the past and are still observed.