🌍 World Alive

Fastest-growing countries — 2026

Annual population growth in per cent (births minus deaths plus net migration). Countries under 300,000 people are excluded because one migration wave can swing their rate. Growth above 3% a year doubles a population in about 23 years.

United Arab Emirates leads with +4.68% per year, followed by Saudi Arabia (+4.63%) and Oman (+3.96%). The median across the 177 countries with data is +1.07%; the world figure is +0.91%. Data year: 2025.

Top 15

United Arab Emirates+4.68%Saudi Arabia+4.63%Oman+3.96%Qatar+3.92%Syria+3.77%Chad+3.41%Central African Republic+3.37%Somalia+3.34%Niger+3.22%DR Congo+3.20%Georgia+3.18%Angola+3.00%Ukraine+2.92%Mali+2.90%Yemen+2.89%

All 177 countries

RankCountryPer yearPopulationYear
#1Flag of United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates+4.68%11,513,1492025
#2Flag of Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia+4.63%36,973,5552025
#3Flag of Oman Oman+3.96%5,494,6912025
#4Flag of Qatar Qatar+3.92%2,972,2152025
#5Flag of Syria Syria+3.77%25,620,4272025
#6Flag of Chad Chad+3.41%21,003,7052025
#7Flag of Central African Republic Central African Republic+3.37%5,513,2822025
#8Flag of Somalia Somalia+3.34%19,654,7392025
#9Flag of Niger Niger+3.22%27,917,8312025
#10Flag of DR Congo DR Congo+3.20%112,832,4732025
#11Flag of Georgia Georgia+3.18%3,935,7662025
#12Flag of Angola Angola+3.00%39,040,0392025
#13Flag of Ukraine Ukraine+2.92%38,980,3762025
#14Flag of Mali Mali+2.90%25,198,8212025
#15Flag of Yemen Yemen+2.89%41,773,8782025
#16Flag of Tanzania Tanzania+2.86%70,545,8652025
#17Flag of Mozambique Mozambique+2.85%35,631,6532025
#18Flag of Mauritania Mauritania+2.78%5,315,0652025
#19Flag of Zambia Zambia+2.77%21,913,8742025
#20Flag of Afghanistan Afghanistan+2.77%43,844,1112025
#21Flag of Uganda Uganda+2.70%51,384,8942025
#22Flag of Cameroon Cameroon+2.56%29,879,3372025
#23Flag of Malawi Malawi+2.56%22,216,1202025
#24Flag of Ethiopia Ethiopia+2.55%135,472,0512025
#25Flag of Burundi Burundi+2.41%14,390,0032025
#26Flag of Ivory Coast Ivory Coast+2.40%32,711,5472025
#27Flag of Benin Benin+2.40%14,814,4602025
#28Flag of Madagascar Madagascar+2.40%32,740,6782025
#29Flag of Equatorial Guinea Equatorial Guinea+2.40%1,938,4312025
#30Flag of Sudan Sudan+2.38%51,662,1472025
#31Flag of Republic of the Congo Republic of the Congo+2.36%6,484,4372025
#32Flag of Solomon Islands Solomon Islands+2.35%838,6452025
#33Flag of Palestine Palestine+2.33%5,413,5962025
#34Flag of Guinea Guinea+2.31%15,099,7272025
#35Flag of Senegal Senegal+2.30%18,931,9662025
#36Flag of Vanuatu Vanuatu+2.23%335,1692025
#37Flag of Gambia Gambia+2.23%2,822,0932025
#38Flag of Burkina Faso Burkina Faso+2.21%24,074,5802025
#39Flag of Togo Togo+2.18%8,591,6262025
#40Flag of Rwanda Rwanda+2.17%14,569,3412025
#41Flag of Guinea-Bissau Guinea-Bissau+2.16%2,249,5152025
#42Flag of Gabon Gabon+2.11%2,593,1302025
#43Flag of Iraq Iraq+2.10%47,020,7742025
#44Flag of Liberia Liberia+2.09%5,731,2062025
#45Flag of Nigeria Nigeria+2.06%237,527,7822025
#46Flag of Namibia Namibia+2.05%3,092,8162025
#47Flag of Sierra Leone Sierra Leone+2.04%8,819,7942025
#48Flag of South Sudan South Sudan+2.03%12,188,7882025
#49Flag of Eritrea Eritrea+2.00%3,607,0032025
#50Flag of Kenya Kenya+1.93%57,532,4932025
#51Flag of Malta Malta+1.89%579,7042025
#52Flag of Zimbabwe Zimbabwe+1.88%16,950,7952025
#53Flag of Uzbekistan Uzbekistan+1.88%37,053,4282025
#54Flag of Comoros Comoros+1.85%882,8472025
#55Flag of Ghana Ghana+1.83%35,064,2722025
#56Flag of Tajikistan Tajikistan+1.83%10,786,7342025
#57Flag of Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea+1.75%10,762,8172025
#58Flag of Armenia Armenia+1.74%3,086,7002025
#59Flag of Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan+1.66%7,343,0642025
#60Flag of Honduras Honduras+1.65%11,005,8502025
#61Flag of Turkmenistan Turkmenistan+1.65%7,618,8472025
#62Flag of Ireland Ireland+1.63%5,484,3672025
#63Flag of Botswana Botswana+1.61%2,562,1222025
#64Flag of Pakistan Pakistan+1.56%255,219,5542025
#65Flag of Egypt Egypt+1.56%118,365,9952025
#66Flag of Australia Australia+1.53%27,614,4112025
#67Flag of Guatemala Guatemala+1.52%18,687,8812025
#68Flag of Iceland Iceland+1.51%392,4042025
#69Flag of Luxembourg Luxembourg+1.46%686,9702025
#70Flag of Belize Belize+1.39%422,9242025
#71Flag of Bolivia Bolivia+1.35%12,581,8432025
#72Flag of Laos Laos+1.32%7,873,0462025
#73Flag of Algeria Algeria+1.32%47,435,3122025
#74Flag of Nicaragua Nicaragua+1.31%7,007,5022025
#75Flag of Djibouti Djibouti+1.31%1,184,0762025
#76Flag of Timor-Leste Timor-Leste+1.27%1,418,5172025
#77Flag of Mongolia Mongolia+1.25%3,568,9782025
#78Flag of Panama Panama+1.22%4,571,1892025
#79Flag of Singapore Singapore+1.22%6,111,1752025
#80Flag of Bangladesh Bangladesh+1.22%175,686,8992025
#81Flag of Kazakhstan Kazakhstan+1.21%20,843,7542025
#82Flag of Paraguay Paraguay+1.20%7,013,0782025
#83Flag of Israel Israel+1.20%10,122,8002025
#84Flag of Cambodia Cambodia+1.18%17,847,9822025
#85Flag of Malaysia Malaysia+1.17%35,977,8382025
#86Flag of South Africa South Africa+1.15%64,747,3192025
#87Flag of Haiti Haiti+1.13%11,906,0952025
#88Flag of Lesotho Lesotho+1.10%2,363,3252025
#89Flag of Eswatini Eswatini+1.07%1,256,1742025
#90Flag of Libya Libya+1.04%7,458,5552025
#91Flag of Peru Peru+1.04%34,576,6652025
#92Flag of Spain Spain+1.03%49,355,1432025
#93Flag of Portugal Portugal+1.03%10,804,8712025
#94Flag of Colombia Colombia+1.01%53,425,6352025
#95Flag of Switzerland Switzerland+0.96%9,092,4362025
#96Flag of Canada Canada+0.94%41,651,6532025
#97Flag of Iran Iran+0.92%92,417,6812025
#98Flag of Cyprus Cyprus+0.91%1,370,7542025
#99Flag of Morocco Morocco+0.91%38,430,7702025
#100Flag of India India+0.89%1,463,865,5252025
#101Flag of Suriname Suriname+0.85%639,8502025
#102Flag of Ecuador Ecuador+0.85%18,289,8962025
#103Flag of Mexico Mexico+0.83%131,946,9002025
#104Flag of Philippines Philippines+0.81%116,786,9622025
#105Flag of Dominican Republic Dominican Republic+0.81%11,520,4872025
#106Flag of Indonesia Indonesia+0.78%285,721,2362025
#107Flag of Brunei Brunei+0.78%466,3302025
#108Flag of Lebanon Lebanon+0.75%5,849,4212025
#109Flag of Bahrain Bahrain+0.73%1,600,3662025
#110Flag of Belgium Belgium+0.70%11,941,7812025
#111Flag of Norway Norway+0.69%5,610,8702025
#112Flag of New Zealand New Zealand+0.65%5,324,7002025
#113Flag of Bhutan Bhutan+0.65%796,6822025
#114Flag of Myanmar Myanmar+0.64%54,850,6482025
#115Flag of Vietnam Vietnam+0.60%101,598,5272025
#116Flag of Guyana Guyana+0.59%835,9862025
#117Flag of Tunisia Tunisia+0.58%12,348,5732025
#118Flag of Denmark Denmark+0.54%6,009,1692025
#119Flag of United States United States+0.52%341,784,8572025
#120Flag of Netherlands Netherlands+0.52%18,087,6332025
#121Flag of Chile Chile+0.48%19,859,9212025
#122Flag of Finland Finland+0.47%5,646,4362025
#123Flag of Fiji Fiji+0.47%933,1542025
#124Flag of Cape Verde Cape Verde+0.47%527,3262025
#125Flag of Costa Rica Costa Rica+0.45%5,152,9502025
#126Flag of Bahamas Bahamas+0.44%403,0332025
#127Flag of Azerbaijan Azerbaijan+0.43%10,246,9962025
#128Flag of El Salvador El Salvador+0.43%6,365,5032025
#129Flag of Türkiye Türkiye+0.42%85,878,5562025
#130Flag of Venezuela Venezuela+0.39%28,516,8962025
#131Flag of Brazil Brazil+0.38%212,812,4052025
#132Flag of Maldives Maldives+0.35%529,6762025
#133Flag of Argentina Argentina+0.34%45,851,3782025
#134Flag of Austria Austria+0.33%9,208,1632025
#135Flag of United Kingdom United Kingdom+0.30%69,487,0002025
#136Flag of North Korea North Korea+0.27%26,571,0362025
#137Flag of Croatia Croatia+0.26%3,876,2002025
#138Flag of Sweden Sweden+0.25%10,596,6202025
#139Flag of France France+0.25%68,720,3372025
#140Flag of Slovenia Slovenia+0.17%2,130,9862025
#141Flag of Greece Greece+0.08%10,413,9622025
#142Flag of Lithuania Lithuania+0.02%2,888,7742025
#143Flag of Germany Germany−0.03%83,491,2492025
#144Flag of Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago−0.04%1,367,7642025
#145Flag of Uruguay Uruguay−0.06%3,384,6882025
#146Flag of Italy Italy−0.06%58,915,6562025
#147Flag of Montenegro Montenegro−0.06%623,1292025
#148Flag of Thailand Thailand−0.07%71,619,8632025
#149Flag of Jamaica Jamaica−0.07%2,837,0772025
#150Flag of Russia Russia−0.11%143,513,3282025
#151Flag of Nepal Nepal−0.11%29,618,1182025
#152Flag of Bulgaria Bulgaria−0.13%6,433,3022025
#153Flag of South Korea South Korea−0.13%51,684,5642025
#154Flag of Slovakia Slovakia−0.15%5,413,8132025
#155Flag of Macau Macau−0.16%685,9002025
#156Flag of Mauritius Mauritius−0.16%1,243,7412025
#157Flag of Romania Romania−0.17%19,020,2712025
#158Flag of Czechia Czechia−0.17%10,886,8782025
#159Flag of China China−0.17%1,406,585,0002025
#160Flag of North Macedonia North Macedonia−0.19%1,820,9092025
#161Flag of Jordan Jordan−0.28%11,520,6842025
#162Flag of Hong Kong Hong Kong−0.34%7,498,9002025
#163Flag of Poland Poland−0.34%36,435,8612025
#164Flag of Cuba Cuba−0.39%10,937,2032025
#165Flag of Estonia Estonia−0.43%1,366,4752025
#166Flag of Japan Japan−0.49%123,366,7342025
#167Flag of Hungary Hungary−0.50%9,514,2512025
#168Flag of Belarus Belarus−0.51%9,085,9912025
#169Flag of Puerto Rico Puerto Rico−0.55%3,184,8352025
#170Flag of Serbia Serbia−0.57%6,549,1432025
#171Flag of Kuwait Kuwait−0.65%4,865,2982025
#172Flag of Sri Lanka Sri Lanka−0.73%21,756,0002025
#173Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina−0.77%3,140,0952025
#174Flag of Latvia Latvia−0.99%1,847,7852025
#175Flag of Kosovo Kosovo−1.10%1,576,8762025
#176Flag of Albania Albania−1.17%2,349,5802025
#177Flag of Moldova Moldova−1.75%2,360,5272025

Other rankings

Largest countries by population, Smallest countries and territories by population, Fastest-shrinking countries, Highest birth rates, Lowest birth rates, Highest fertility rates, Oldest populations (share aged 65+), Youngest populations (share aged 0–14), Most densely populated countries, Least densely populated countries, Highest life expectancy, Most urbanised countries, Richest countries by GDP per capita.

Source: World Bank Indicators (latest available year per country, shown in the last column). Countries with no value for this indicator are omitted, not scored as zero.

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The definition determines the ranking

This page is a structured reference entry. Its sources, geographic definition and reference dates determine what the figures mean; it is not independent reporting about the causes of change. Read the accompanying explanation before comparing different places or vintages.

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Interpretation reviewed 12 October 2026. Underlying reference years are stated on the page; this is not a fresh census or dataset refresh.