Population ranking 2017 — the top 20 economies
The twenty largest economies by Population, Total in 2017, ranked by the exact World Bank figures. The leader: China (1,396,215,000). A total of 217 economies reported a value that year.
The leader, China, stood at 1,396,215,000. The twentieth economy, Thailand, reported 71,160,187 — a 20× spread inside the top 20 alone. Of 217 economies reporting that year, these twenty are the ones usually quoted.
| # | Country | people (2017) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | China | 1,396,215,000 |
| 2 | India | 1,359,657,400 |
| 3 | United States | 326,608,609 |
| 4 | Indonesia | 267,346,658 |
| 5 | Pakistan | 223,273,967 |
| 6 | Brazil | 204,703,445 |
| 7 | Nigeria | 200,254,579 |
| 8 | Bangladesh | 162,186,147 |
| 9 | Russia | 145,293,260 |
| 10 | Japan | 126,972,000 |
| 11 | Mexico | 123,400,057 |
| 12 | Ethiopia | 109,666,481 |
| 13 | Philippines | 108,119,693 |
| 14 | Egypt | 103,696,057 |
| 15 | Viet Nam | 95,176,977 |
| 16 | DR Congo | 87,083,398 |
| 17 | Iran | 85,026,754 |
| 18 | Germany | 82,657,002 |
| 19 | Turkiye | 80,312,698 |
| 20 | Thailand | 71,160,187 |
Where are they now?
The top five of 2017 and their rank in the latest published year:
| Country | Rank in 2017 | Rank today |
|---|---|---|
| China | #2 | #2 |
| India | #1 | #1 |
| United States | #3 | #3 |
| Indonesia | #4 | #4 |
| Pakistan | #5 | #5 |
Other years
Frequently asked questions
Which country had the largest Population in 2017?
China, with 1,396,215,000 (people).
How many countries are included?
217 economies reported a value for SP.POP.TOTL in 2017. Coverage widens over time — earlier years include fewer reporting economies.