Population ranking 1989 — the top 20 economies
The twenty largest economies by Population, Total in 1989, ranked by the exact World Bank figures. The leader: China (1,118,650,000). A total of 216 economies reported a value that year.
The leader, China, stood at 1,118,650,000. The twentieth economy, Turkiye, reported 54,976,723 — a 20× spread inside the top 20 alone. Of 216 economies reporting that year, these twenty are the ones usually quoted.
| # | Country | people (1989) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | China | 1,118,650,000 |
| 2 | India | 846,039,529 |
| 3 | United States | 246,819,000 |
| 4 | Indonesia | 180,201,630 |
| 5 | Russia | 147,721,000 |
| 6 | Brazil | 146,502,972 |
| 7 | Japan | 123,069,000 |
| 8 | Pakistan | 112,336,629 |
| 9 | Bangladesh | 109,433,799 |
| 10 | Nigeria | 94,531,014 |
| 11 | Mexico | 81,247,182 |
| 12 | Germany | 78,751,283 |
| 13 | Viet Nam | 64,147,348 |
| 14 | Philippines | 61,265,260 |
| 15 | France | 57,943,062 |
| 16 | United Kingdom | 57,076,711 |
| 17 | Egypt | 56,710,642 |
| 18 | Iran | 56,704,914 |
| 19 | Italy | 56,671,781 |
| 20 | Turkiye | 54,976,723 |
Where are they now?
The top five of 1989 and their rank in the latest published year:
| Country | Rank in 1989 | 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 1989?
China, with 1,118,650,000 (people).
How many countries are included?
216 economies reported a value for SP.POP.TOTL in 1989. Coverage widens over time — earlier years include fewer reporting economies.