Population ranking 1987 — the top 20 economies
The twenty largest economies by Population, Total in 1987, ranked by the exact World Bank figures. The leader: China (1,084,035,000). A total of 216 economies reported a value that year.
The leader, China, stood at 1,084,035,000. The twentieth economy, Turkiye, reported 52,843,670 — a 21× spread inside the top 20 alone. Of 216 economies reporting that year, these twenty are the ones usually quoted.
| # | Country | people (1987) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | China | 1,084,035,000 |
| 2 | India | 808,931,270 |
| 3 | United States | 242,289,000 |
| 4 | Indonesia | 173,511,154 |
| 5 | Russia | 145,908,000 |
| 6 | Brazil | 141,104,944 |
| 7 | Japan | 122,069,000 |
| 8 | Pakistan | 105,130,717 |
| 9 | Bangladesh | 104,959,291 |
| 10 | Nigeria | 89,591,716 |
| 11 | Mexico | 78,136,651 |
| 12 | Germany | 77,839,920 |
| 13 | Viet Nam | 61,584,651 |
| 14 | Philippines | 58,157,496 |
| 15 | France | 57,266,167 |
| 16 | United Kingdom | 56,802,050 |
| 17 | Italy | 56,601,931 |
| 18 | Egypt | 53,674,435 |
| 19 | Iran | 53,323,493 |
| 20 | Turkiye | 52,843,670 |
Where are they now?
The top five of 1987 and their rank in the latest published year:
| Country | Rank in 1987 | 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 1987?
China, with 1,084,035,000 (people).
How many countries are included?
216 economies reported a value for SP.POP.TOTL in 1987. Coverage widens over time — earlier years include fewer reporting economies.