Top 10 most populous countries in the world (2025)

The global population reached 8 billion in 2022, according to the United Nations estimation, doubling from 3 billion in 1959 to 6 billion in 1999. Growth peaked in the late 1960s at 2.09% annually but projected to slow to 0.85% in 2025, adding 70 million people yearly.

Projections show the population reaching 9 billion by 2037 and 10 billion by 2060, while growth rates continue to decline. By 2047, the rate is expected to drop below 0.50%, reach zero in 2084, and decline to -0.12% by 2100.

The population of the world at the start of 2025 is 8,198,884,355 with countries like India, China and the United States topping the charts.

Here are top 10 countries with the most population at the start of 2025, according to Worldometer, a reference website that provides counters and real-time statistics:

1. India

Population: 1,463,865,525

Global share: 17.78%

Urban population: 37.1%

Median age: 28.8 years

2. China

Population: 1,416,096,094

Global share: 17.2%

Urban population: 67.5%

Median age: 40.1 years

3. United States

Population: 347,275,807