Population ranking 1986 — the top 20 economies
The twenty largest economies by Population, Total in 1986, ranked by the exact World Bank figures. The leader: China (1,066,790,000). A total of 216 economies reported a value that year.
The leader, China, stood at 1,066,790,000. The twentieth economy, Iran, reported 51,446,045 — a 21× spread inside the top 20 alone. Of 216 economies reporting that year, these twenty are the ones usually quoted.
| # | Country | people (1986) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | China | 1,066,790,000 |
| 2 | India | 790,689,978 |
| 3 | United States | 240,133,000 |
| 4 | Indonesia | 170,175,065 |
| 5 | Russia | 144,894,000 |
| 6 | Brazil | 138,336,370 |
| 7 | Japan | 121,482,000 |
| 8 | Bangladesh | 102,635,572 |
| 9 | Pakistan | 101,606,764 |
| 10 | Nigeria | 87,235,953 |
| 11 | Germany | 77,720,436 |
| 12 | Mexico | 76,585,637 |
| 13 | Viet Nam | 60,347,048 |
| 14 | France | 56,956,002 |
| 15 | United Kingdom | 56,681,396 |
| 16 | Philippines | 56,645,077 |
| 17 | Italy | 56,596,155 |
| 18 | Egypt | 52,206,295 |
| 19 | Turkiye | 51,777,772 |
| 20 | Iran | 51,446,045 |
Where are they now?
The top five of 1986 and their rank in the latest published year:
| Country | Rank in 1986 | Rank today |
|---|---|---|
| China | #2 | #2 |
| India | #1 | #1 |
| United States | #3 | #3 |
| Indonesia | #4 | #4 |
| Russia | #9 | #9 |
Other years
Frequently asked questions
Which country had the largest Population in 1986?
China, with 1,066,790,000 (people).
How many countries are included?
216 economies reported a value for SP.POP.TOTL in 1986. Coverage widens over time — earlier years include fewer reporting economies.