Population ranking 2018 — the top 20 economies
The twenty largest economies by Population, Total in 2018, ranked by the exact World Bank figures. The leader: China (1,402,760,000). A total of 217 economies reported a value that year.
The leader, China, stood at 1,402,760,000. The twentieth economy, Thailand, reported 71,376,079 — a 20× spread inside the top 20 alone. Of 217 economies reporting that year, these twenty are the ones usually quoted.
| # | Country | people (2018) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | China | 1,402,760,000 |
| 2 | India | 1,374,659,064 |
| 3 | United States | 328,529,577 |
| 4 | Indonesia | 269,951,846 |
| 5 | Pakistan | 226,928,892 |
| 6 | Brazil | 206,107,261 |
| 7 | Nigeria | 204,938,755 |
| 8 | Bangladesh | 163,523,103 |
| 9 | Russia | 145,398,106 |
| 10 | Japan | 126,811,000 |
| 11 | Mexico | 124,573,711 |
| 12 | Ethiopia | 112,664,152 |
| 13 | Philippines | 109,465,287 |
| 14 | Egypt | 105,682,094 |
| 15 | Viet Nam | 96,237,319 |
| 16 | DR Congo | 90,047,644 |
| 17 | Iran | 86,117,998 |
| 18 | Germany | 82,905,782 |
| 19 | Turkiye | 81,407,204 |
| 20 | Thailand | 71,376,079 |
Where are they now?
The top five of 2018 and their rank in the latest published year:
| Country | Rank in 2018 | 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 2018?
China, with 1,402,760,000 (people).
How many countries are included?
217 economies reported a value for SP.POP.TOTL in 2018. Coverage widens over time — earlier years include fewer reporting economies.