Population ranking 1988 — the top 20 economies
The twenty largest economies by Population, Total in 1988, ranked by the exact World Bank figures. The leader: China (1,101,630,000). A total of 216 economies reported a value that year.
The leader, China, stood at 1,101,630,000. The twentieth economy, Turkiye, reported 53,909,626 — a 20× spread inside the top 20 alone. Of 216 economies reporting that year, these twenty are the ones usually quoted.
| # | Country | people (1988) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | China | 1,101,630,000 |
| 2 | India | 827,342,990 |
| 3 | United States | 244,499,000 |
| 4 | Indonesia | 176,855,065 |
| 5 | Russia | 146,857,000 |
| 6 | Brazil | 143,826,357 |
| 7 | Japan | 122,578,000 |
| 8 | Pakistan | 108,724,739 |
| 9 | Bangladesh | 107,216,008 |
| 10 | Nigeria | 92,020,090 |
| 11 | Mexico | 79,695,531 |
| 12 | Germany | 78,144,619 |
| 13 | Viet Nam | 62,843,228 |
| 14 | Philippines | 59,739,052 |
| 15 | France | 57,598,186 |
| 16 | United Kingdom | 56,928,327 |
| 17 | Italy | 56,629,288 |
| 18 | Egypt | 55,187,681 |
| 19 | Iran | 55,072,694 |
| 20 | Turkiye | 53,909,626 |
Where are they now?
The top five of 1988 and their rank in the latest published year:
| Country | Rank in 1988 | 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 1988?
China, with 1,101,630,000 (people).
How many countries are included?
216 economies reported a value for SP.POP.TOTL in 1988. Coverage widens over time — earlier years include fewer reporting economies.