Fastest-shrinking countries — 2026
Countries whose population is falling: low birth rates, ageing and emigration. A rate of −1% a year halves a population in roughly 70 years.
Moldova leads with −1.75% per year, followed by Albania (−1.17%) and Kosovo (−1.10%). The median across the 177 countries with data is +1.07%; the world figure is +0.91%. Data year: 2025.
Top 15
All 177 countries
| Rank | Country | Per year | Population | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 |  Moldova | −1.75% | 2,360,527 | 2025 |
| #2 |  Albania | −1.17% | 2,349,580 | 2025 |
| #3 |  Kosovo | −1.10% | 1,576,876 | 2025 |
| #4 |  Latvia | −0.99% | 1,847,785 | 2025 |
| #5 |  Bosnia and Herzegovina | −0.77% | 3,140,095 | 2025 |
| #6 |  Sri Lanka | −0.73% | 21,756,000 | 2025 |
| #7 |  Kuwait | −0.65% | 4,865,298 | 2025 |
| #8 |  Serbia | −0.57% | 6,549,143 | 2025 |
| #9 |  Puerto Rico | −0.55% | 3,184,835 | 2025 |
| #10 |  Belarus | −0.51% | 9,085,991 | 2025 |
| #11 |  Hungary | −0.50% | 9,514,251 | 2025 |
| #12 |  Japan | −0.49% | 123,366,734 | 2025 |
| #13 |  Estonia | −0.43% | 1,366,475 | 2025 |
| #14 |  Cuba | −0.39% | 10,937,203 | 2025 |
| #15 |  Poland | −0.34% | 36,435,861 | 2025 |
| #16 |  Hong Kong | −0.34% | 7,498,900 | 2025 |
| #17 |  Jordan | −0.28% | 11,520,684 | 2025 |
| #18 |  North Macedonia | −0.19% | 1,820,909 | 2025 |
| #19 |  China | −0.17% | 1,406,585,000 | 2025 |
| #20 |  Czechia | −0.17% | 10,886,878 | 2025 |
| #21 |  Romania | −0.17% | 19,020,271 | 2025 |
| #22 |  Mauritius | −0.16% | 1,243,741 | 2025 |
| #23 |  Macau | −0.16% | 685,900 | 2025 |
| #24 |  Slovakia | −0.15% | 5,413,813 | 2025 |
| #25 |  South Korea | −0.13% | 51,684,564 | 2025 |
| #26 |  Bulgaria | −0.13% | 6,433,302 | 2025 |
| #27 |  Nepal | −0.11% | 29,618,118 | 2025 |
| #28 |  Russia | −0.11% | 143,513,328 | 2025 |
| #29 |  Jamaica | −0.07% | 2,837,077 | 2025 |
| #30 |  Thailand | −0.07% | 71,619,863 | 2025 |
| #31 |  Montenegro | −0.06% | 623,129 | 2025 |
| #32 |  Italy | −0.06% | 58,915,656 | 2025 |
| #33 |  Uruguay | −0.06% | 3,384,688 | 2025 |
| #34 |  Trinidad and Tobago | −0.04% | 1,367,764 | 2025 |
| #35 |  Germany | −0.03% | 83,491,249 | 2025 |
| #36 |  Lithuania | +0.02% | 2,888,774 | 2025 |
| #37 |  Greece | +0.08% | 10,413,962 | 2025 |
| #38 |  Slovenia | +0.17% | 2,130,986 | 2025 |
| #39 |  France | +0.25% | 68,720,337 | 2025 |
| #40 |  Sweden | +0.25% | 10,596,620 | 2025 |
| #41 |  Croatia | +0.26% | 3,876,200 | 2025 |
| #42 |  North Korea | +0.27% | 26,571,036 | 2025 |
| #43 |  United Kingdom | +0.30% | 69,487,000 | 2025 |
| #44 |  Austria | +0.33% | 9,208,163 | 2025 |
| #45 |  Argentina | +0.34% | 45,851,378 | 2025 |
| #46 |  Maldives | +0.35% | 529,676 | 2025 |
| #47 |  Brazil | +0.38% | 212,812,405 | 2025 |
| #48 |  Venezuela | +0.39% | 28,516,896 | 2025 |
| #49 |  Türkiye | +0.42% | 85,878,556 | 2025 |
| #50 |  El Salvador | +0.43% | 6,365,503 | 2025 |
| #51 |  Azerbaijan | +0.43% | 10,246,996 | 2025 |
| #52 |  Bahamas | +0.44% | 403,033 | 2025 |
| #53 |  Costa Rica | +0.45% | 5,152,950 | 2025 |
| #54 |  Cape Verde | +0.47% | 527,326 | 2025 |
| #55 |  Fiji | +0.47% | 933,154 | 2025 |
| #56 |  Finland | +0.47% | 5,646,436 | 2025 |
| #57 |  Chile | +0.48% | 19,859,921 | 2025 |
| #58 |  Netherlands | +0.52% | 18,087,633 | 2025 |
| #59 |  United States | +0.52% | 341,784,857 | 2025 |
| #60 |  Denmark | +0.54% | 6,009,169 | 2025 |
| #61 |  Tunisia | +0.58% | 12,348,573 | 2025 |
| #62 |  Guyana | +0.59% | 835,986 | 2025 |
| #63 |  Vietnam | +0.60% | 101,598,527 | 2025 |
| #64 |  Myanmar | +0.64% | 54,850,648 | 2025 |
| #65 |  Bhutan | +0.65% | 796,682 | 2025 |
| #66 |  New Zealand | +0.65% | 5,324,700 | 2025 |
| #67 |  Norway | +0.69% | 5,610,870 | 2025 |
| #68 |  Belgium | +0.70% | 11,941,781 | 2025 |
| #69 |  Bahrain | +0.73% | 1,600,366 | 2025 |
| #70 |  Lebanon | +0.75% | 5,849,421 | 2025 |
| #71 |  Brunei | +0.78% | 466,330 | 2025 |
| #72 |  Indonesia | +0.78% | 285,721,236 | 2025 |
| #73 |  Dominican Republic | +0.81% | 11,520,487 | 2025 |
| #74 |  Philippines | +0.81% | 116,786,962 | 2025 |
| #75 |  Mexico | +0.83% | 131,946,900 | 2025 |
| #76 |  Ecuador | +0.85% | 18,289,896 | 2025 |
| #77 |  Suriname | +0.85% | 639,850 | 2025 |
| #78 |  India | +0.89% | 1,463,865,525 | 2025 |
| #79 |  Morocco | +0.91% | 38,430,770 | 2025 |
| #80 |  Cyprus | +0.91% | 1,370,754 | 2025 |
| #81 |  Iran | +0.92% | 92,417,681 | 2025 |
| #82 |  Canada | +0.94% | 41,651,653 | 2025 |
| #83 |  Switzerland | +0.96% | 9,092,436 | 2025 |
| #84 |  Colombia | +1.01% | 53,425,635 | 2025 |
| #85 |  Portugal | +1.03% | 10,804,871 | 2025 |
| #86 |  Spain | +1.03% | 49,355,143 | 2025 |
| #87 |  Peru | +1.04% | 34,576,665 | 2025 |
| #88 |  Libya | +1.04% | 7,458,555 | 2025 |
| #89 |  Eswatini | +1.07% | 1,256,174 | 2025 |
| #90 |  Lesotho | +1.10% | 2,363,325 | 2025 |
| #91 |  Haiti | +1.13% | 11,906,095 | 2025 |
| #92 |  South Africa | +1.15% | 64,747,319 | 2025 |
| #93 |  Malaysia | +1.17% | 35,977,838 | 2025 |
| #94 |  Cambodia | +1.18% | 17,847,982 | 2025 |
| #95 |  Israel | +1.20% | 10,122,800 | 2025 |
| #96 |  Paraguay | +1.20% | 7,013,078 | 2025 |
| #97 |  Kazakhstan | +1.21% | 20,843,754 | 2025 |
| #98 |  Bangladesh | +1.22% | 175,686,899 | 2025 |
| #99 |  Singapore | +1.22% | 6,111,175 | 2025 |
| #100 |  Panama | +1.22% | 4,571,189 | 2025 |
| #101 |  Mongolia | +1.25% | 3,568,978 | 2025 |
| #102 |  Timor-Leste | +1.27% | 1,418,517 | 2025 |
| #103 |  Djibouti | +1.31% | 1,184,076 | 2025 |
| #104 |  Nicaragua | +1.31% | 7,007,502 | 2025 |
| #105 |  Algeria | +1.32% | 47,435,312 | 2025 |
| #106 |  Laos | +1.32% | 7,873,046 | 2025 |
| #107 |  Bolivia | +1.35% | 12,581,843 | 2025 |
| #108 |  Belize | +1.39% | 422,924 | 2025 |
| #109 |  Luxembourg | +1.46% | 686,970 | 2025 |
| #110 |  Iceland | +1.51% | 392,404 | 2025 |
| #111 |  Guatemala | +1.52% | 18,687,881 | 2025 |
| #112 |  Australia | +1.53% | 27,614,411 | 2025 |
| #113 |  Egypt | +1.56% | 118,365,995 | 2025 |
| #114 |  Pakistan | +1.56% | 255,219,554 | 2025 |
| #115 |  Botswana | +1.61% | 2,562,122 | 2025 |
| #116 |  Ireland | +1.63% | 5,484,367 | 2025 |
| #117 |  Turkmenistan | +1.65% | 7,618,847 | 2025 |
| #118 |  Honduras | +1.65% | 11,005,850 | 2025 |
| #119 |  Kyrgyzstan | +1.66% | 7,343,064 | 2025 |
| #120 |  Armenia | +1.74% | 3,086,700 | 2025 |
| #121 |  Papua New Guinea | +1.75% | 10,762,817 | 2025 |
| #122 |  Tajikistan | +1.83% | 10,786,734 | 2025 |
| #123 |  Ghana | +1.83% | 35,064,272 | 2025 |
| #124 |  Comoros | +1.85% | 882,847 | 2025 |
| #125 |  Uzbekistan | +1.88% | 37,053,428 | 2025 |
| #126 |  Zimbabwe | +1.88% | 16,950,795 | 2025 |
| #127 |  Malta | +1.89% | 579,704 | 2025 |
| #128 |  Kenya | +1.93% | 57,532,493 | 2025 |
| #129 |  Eritrea | +2.00% | 3,607,003 | 2025 |
| #130 |  South Sudan | +2.03% | 12,188,788 | 2025 |
| #131 |  Sierra Leone | +2.04% | 8,819,794 | 2025 |
| #132 |  Namibia | +2.05% | 3,092,816 | 2025 |
| #133 |  Nigeria | +2.06% | 237,527,782 | 2025 |
| #134 |  Liberia | +2.09% | 5,731,206 | 2025 |
| #135 |  Iraq | +2.10% | 47,020,774 | 2025 |
| #136 |  Gabon | +2.11% | 2,593,130 | 2025 |
| #137 |  Guinea-Bissau | +2.16% | 2,249,515 | 2025 |
| #138 |  Rwanda | +2.17% | 14,569,341 | 2025 |
| #139 |  Togo | +2.18% | 8,591,626 | 2025 |
| #140 |  Burkina Faso | +2.21% | 24,074,580 | 2025 |
| #141 |  Gambia | +2.23% | 2,822,093 | 2025 |
| #142 |  Vanuatu | +2.23% | 335,169 | 2025 |
| #143 |  Senegal | +2.30% | 18,931,966 | 2025 |
| #144 |  Guinea | +2.31% | 15,099,727 | 2025 |
| #145 |  Palestine | +2.33% | 5,413,596 | 2025 |
| #146 |  Solomon Islands | +2.35% | 838,645 | 2025 |
| #147 |  Republic of the Congo | +2.36% | 6,484,437 | 2025 |
| #148 |  Sudan | +2.38% | 51,662,147 | 2025 |
| #149 |  Equatorial Guinea | +2.40% | 1,938,431 | 2025 |
| #150 |  Madagascar | +2.40% | 32,740,678 | 2025 |
| #151 |  Benin | +2.40% | 14,814,460 | 2025 |
| #152 |  Ivory Coast | +2.40% | 32,711,547 | 2025 |
| #153 |  Burundi | +2.41% | 14,390,003 | 2025 |
| #154 |  Ethiopia | +2.55% | 135,472,051 | 2025 |
| #155 |  Malawi | +2.56% | 22,216,120 | 2025 |
| #156 |  Cameroon | +2.56% | 29,879,337 | 2025 |
| #157 |  Uganda | +2.70% | 51,384,894 | 2025 |
| #158 |  Afghanistan | +2.77% | 43,844,111 | 2025 |
| #159 |  Zambia | +2.77% | 21,913,874 | 2025 |
| #160 |  Mauritania | +2.78% | 5,315,065 | 2025 |
| #161 |  Mozambique | +2.85% | 35,631,653 | 2025 |
| #162 |  Tanzania | +2.86% | 70,545,865 | 2025 |
| #163 |  Yemen | +2.89% | 41,773,878 | 2025 |
| #164 |  Mali | +2.90% | 25,198,821 | 2025 |
| #165 |  Ukraine | +2.92% | 38,980,376 | 2025 |
| #166 |  Angola | +3.00% | 39,040,039 | 2025 |
| #167 |  Georgia | +3.18% | 3,935,766 | 2025 |
| #168 |  DR Congo | +3.20% | 112,832,473 | 2025 |
| #169 |  Niger | +3.22% | 27,917,831 | 2025 |
| #170 |  Somalia | +3.34% | 19,654,739 | 2025 |
| #171 |  Central African Republic | +3.37% | 5,513,282 | 2025 |
| #172 |  Chad | +3.41% | 21,003,705 | 2025 |
| #173 |  Syria | +3.77% | 25,620,427 | 2025 |
| #174 |  Qatar | +3.92% | 2,972,215 | 2025 |
| #175 |  Oman | +3.96% | 5,494,691 | 2025 |
| #176 |  Saudi Arabia | +4.63% | 36,973,555 | 2025 |
| #177 |  United Arab Emirates | +4.68% | 11,513,149 | 2025 |
Other rankings
Largest countries by population, Smallest countries and territories by population, Fastest-growing 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.