Population ranking 2001 — the top 20 economies
The twenty largest economies by Population, Total in 2001, ranked by the exact World Bank figures. The leader: China (1,271,850,000). A total of 217 economies reported a value that year.
The leader, China, stood at 1,271,850,000. The twentieth economy, France, reported 61,364,377 — a 21× spread inside the top 20 alone. Of 217 economies reporting that year, these twenty are the ones usually quoted.
| # | Country | people (2001) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | China | 1,271,850,000 |
| 2 | India | 1,077,898,575 |
| 3 | United States | 284,968,955 |
| 4 | Indonesia | 219,097,902 |
| 5 | Brazil | 176,301,203 |
| 6 | Pakistan | 159,270,907 |
| 7 | Russia | 145,976,482 |
| 8 | Bangladesh | 136,805,810 |
| 9 | Nigeria | 129,862,595 |
| 10 | Japan | 127,149,000 |
| 11 | Mexico | 100,099,099 |
| 12 | Germany | 82,349,925 |
| 13 | Philippines | 81,401,488 |
| 14 | Viet Nam | 77,969,361 |
| 15 | Egypt | 74,652,029 |
| 16 | Ethiopia | 69,487,762 |
| 17 | Iran | 67,452,005 |
| 18 | Turkiye | 66,245,128 |
| 19 | Thailand | 63,651,141 |
| 20 | France | 61,364,377 |
Where are they now?
The top five of 2001 and their rank in the latest published year:
| Country | Rank in 2001 | Rank today |
|---|---|---|
| China | #2 | #2 |
| India | #1 | #1 |
| United States | #3 | #3 |
| Indonesia | #4 | #4 |
| Brazil | #7 | #7 |
Other years
Frequently asked questions
Which country had the largest Population in 2001?
China, with 1,271,850,000 (people).
How many countries are included?
217 economies reported a value for SP.POP.TOTL in 2001. Coverage widens over time — earlier years include fewer reporting economies.