Population growth

215 countries, 2025. Unit: % per year.

First in the ranking
4.68 %
United Arab Emirates
Median country
0.89 %
half above, half below
World
0.91 %
World Bank aggregate
Range
-4.65 to 4.68
Saint-Martin - United Arab Emirates

How to read it

Across 215 countries worldwide, the highest value is in United Arab Emirates (4.68 %) and the lowest in Saint-Martin (-4.65 %).

The median country is at 0.89 %: half are above, half below.

For the world as a whole, the value fell from 1.49 % in 1996 to 0.91 % in 2025.

Annual population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.

Compare selected countries · on the world map

Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), note: Derived from total population, publisher: UN Population Division; Statistical databases and publications… · via World Bank WDI (SP.POP.GROW) · licence

Population growth over time

%

Add to chart:

Ranking of countries

2025
In chart Continent Share of the highest value
1United Arab Emirates4.68Asia
2Saudi Arabia4.63Asia
3Oman3.96Asia
4Qatar3.92Asia
5Syria3.77Asia
6Chad3.41Africa
7Central African Republic3.37Africa
8Somalia3.34Africa
9Niger3.22Africa
10Democratic Republic of the Congo3.20Africa
11Georgia3.18Asia
12Angola3.00Africa
13Ukraine2.92Europe
14Mali2.90Africa
15Yemen2.89Asia
16Tanzania2.86Africa
17Mozambique2.85Africa
18Mauritania2.78Africa
19Zambia2.77Africa
20Afghanistan2.77Asia
21Uganda2.70Africa
22Cameroon2.56Africa
23Malawi2.56Africa
24Ethiopia2.55Africa
25Burundi2.41Africa
26Côte d'Ivoire2.41Africa
27Benin2.40Africa
28Madagascar2.40Africa
29Equatorial Guinea2.40Africa
30Sudan2.38Africa
31Republic of the Congo2.36Africa
32Solomon Islands2.35Oceania
33Palestine2.33Asia
34Guinea2.31Africa
35Senegal2.30Africa
36Vanuatu2.23Oceania
37The Gambia2.23Africa
38Burkina Faso2.21Africa
39Togo2.18Africa
40Rwanda2.17Africa
41Guinea-Bissau2.16Africa
42Gabon2.11Africa
43Iraq2.10Asia
44Liberia2.09Africa
45Nigeria2.06Africa
46Namibia2.05Africa
47Sierra Leone2.04Africa
48South Sudan2.03Africa
49Eritrea2.00Africa
50São Tomé and Principe1.98Africa
51Kenya1.93Africa
52Malta1.89Europe
53Zimbabwe1.88Africa
54Uzbekistan1.88Asia
55Comoros1.85Africa
56Cayman Islands1.85North America
57Ghana1.83Africa
58Tajikistan1.83Asia
59Papua New Guinea1.75Oceania
60Armenia1.74Asia
61Kyrgyzstan1.66Asia
62Honduras1.65North America
63Turkmenistan1.65Asia
64Ireland1.63Europe
65Botswana1.61Africa
66Pakistan1.56Asia
67Egypt1.56Africa
68Australia1.53Oceania
69Guatemala1.52North America
70Iceland1.51Europe
71Luxembourg1.46Europe
72Kiribati1.45Oceania
73Liechtenstein1.41Europe
74Belize1.39North America
75Bolivia1.35South America
76Laos1.32Asia
77Algeria1.32Africa
78Sint Maarten1.31North America
79Nicaragua1.31North America
80Djibouti1.31Africa
81Timor-Leste1.27Asia
82Mongolia1.25Asia
83Panama1.22North America
84Singapore1.22Asia
85Bangladesh1.22Asia
86Kazakhstan1.21Asia
87Paraguay1.20South America
88Israel1.20Asia
89Cambodia1.18Asia
90Malaysia1.17Asia
91Andorra1.17Europe
92South Africa1.15Africa
93Haiti1.13North America
94Seychelles1.13Africa
95Lesotho1.10Africa
96Eswatini1.07Africa
97Libya1.04Africa
98Peru1.04South America
99Spain1.03Europe
100Portugal1.03Europe
101Colombia1.01South America
102Switzerland0.96Europe
103Canada0.94North America
104Iran0.92Asia
105New Caledonia0.92Oceania
106Cyprus0.91Asia
107Morocco0.91Africa
108India0.89Asia
109Suriname0.85South America
110Ecuador0.85South America
111Mexico0.83North America
112Philippines0.81Asia
113Dominican Republic0.81North America
114Indonesia0.78Asia
115Brunei0.78Asia
116Lebanon0.75Asia
117Bahrain0.73Asia
118Aruba0.73North America
119Guam0.73Oceania
120Belgium0.70Europe
121Norway0.69Europe
122Turks and Caicos Islands0.69North America
123British Virgin Islands0.66North America
124New Zealand0.65Oceania
125Nauru0.65Oceania
126Bhutan0.65Asia
127Myanmar0.64Asia
128Vietnam0.60Asia
129Samoa0.59Oceania
130Guyana0.59South America
131Tunisia0.58Africa
132Denmark0.54Europe
133United States0.52North America
134Netherlands0.52Europe
135Chile0.48South America
136Faroe Islands0.47Europe
137Finland0.47Europe
138Fiji0.47Oceania
139Cabo Verde0.47Africa
140Antigua and Barbuda0.46North America
141Federated States of Micronesia0.46Oceania
142Costa Rica0.45North America
143Bahamas0.44North America
144Azerbaijan0.43Asia
145El Salvador0.43North America
146Türkiye0.42Asia
147Venezuela0.39South America
148San Marino0.39Europe
149Brazil0.38South America
150Maldives0.36Asia
151Argentina0.34South America
152Austria0.33Europe
153United Kingdom0.30Europe
154North Korea0.27Asia
155Croatia0.26Europe
156Sweden0.25Europe
157France0.25Europe
158French Polynesia0.23Oceania
159Saint Lucia0.23North America
160Curaçao0.19North America
161Saint Kitts and Nevis0.17North America
162Slovenia0.17Europe
163Greece0.08Europe
164Grenada0.08North America
165Barbados0.06North America
166Lithuania0.02Europe
167Greenland-0.01North America
168Germany-0.03Europe
169Trinidad and Tobago-0.04North America
170Isle of Man-0.05Europe
171Uruguay-0.06South America
172Italy-0.06Europe
173Montenegro-0.06Europe
174Thailand-0.07Asia
175Jamaica-0.07North America
176Russia-0.11Europe
177Nepal-0.11Asia
178Bermuda-0.13North America
179Bulgaria-0.13Europe
180South Korea-0.13Asia
181Slovakia-0.15Europe
182Macao-0.16Asia
183Mauritius-0.16Africa
184Romania-0.17Europe
185Czechia-0.17Europe
186China-0.17Asia
187Palau-0.18Oceania
188North Macedonia-0.19Europe
189Jordan-0.28Asia
190Hong Kong-0.34Asia
191Poland-0.34Europe
192Cuba-0.39North America
193Tonga-0.42Oceania
194Estonia-0.43Europe
195Japan-0.49Asia
196Hungary-0.50Europe
197Dominica-0.51North America
198Belarus-0.51Europe
199Puerto Rico-0.55North America
200United States Virgin Islands-0.56North America
201Serbia-0.57Europe
202Kuwait-0.65Asia
203Saint Vincent and the Grenadines-0.69North America
204Sri Lanka-0.73Asia
205Monaco-0.75Europe
206Bosnia and Herzegovina-0.77Europe
207Latvia-0.99Europe
208Kosovo-1.10Europe
209Albania-1.17Europe
210American Samoa-1.59Oceania
211Tuvalu-1.61Oceania
212Northern Mariana Islands-1.68Oceania
213Moldova-1.75Europe
214Marshall Islands-3.43Oceania
215Saint-Martin-4.65North America
World Bank, WDI · SP.POP.GROW · 2025 · CC BY 4.0 Source and licence

Biggest changes, 2015-2025

change in percentage points · 215 countries

Largest increase

  1. Syria -4.28 → 3.77 +8.05 pp
  2. Ukraine -0.41 → 2.92 +3.32 pp
  3. Andorra -2.14 → 1.17 +3.31 pp
  4. Central African Republic 0.13 → 3.37 +3.24 pp
  5. South Sudan -1.14 → 2.03 +3.18 pp

Largest decrease

  1. Jordan 8.22 → -0.28 −8.50 pp
  2. Kuwait 4.50 → -0.65 −5.15 pp
  3. Qatar 8.58 → 3.92 −4.66 pp
  4. Saint-Martin -0.22 → -4.65 −4.44 pp
  5. British Virgin Islands 4.55 → 0.66 −3.90 pp

Continents over time

median country of each continent

Population growth - continent medians

%

Africa Asia Europe North America South America Oceania

0.0 1.0 2.0 3.0 1961 Africa: 2.41 Asia: 2.82 Europe: 0.92 North America: 2.04 South America: 2.58 Oceania: 2.61 1962 Africa: 2.5 Asia: 2.9 Europe: 0.95 North America: 2.04 South America: 2.6 Oceania: 2.65 1963 Africa: 2.45 Asia: 2.83 Europe: 1.01 North America: 2.12 South America: 2.67 Oceania: 2.74 1964 Africa: 2.46 Asia: 2.86 Europe: 1.04 North America: 2.04 South America: 2.7 Oceania: 2.74 1965 Africa: 2.52 Asia: 2.79 Europe: 0.97 North America: 1.96 South America: 2.65 Oceania: 2.73 1966 Africa: 2.48 Asia: 2.78 Europe: 0.85 North America: 1.94 South America: 2.58 Oceania: 2.7 1967 Africa: 2.51 Asia: 2.69 Europe: 0.81 North America: 1.96 South America: 2.51 Oceania: 2.29 1968 Africa: 2.5 Asia: 2.61 Europe: 0.85 North America: 1.86 South America: 2.44 Oceania: 2.21 1969 Africa: 2.55 Asia: 2.61 Europe: 0.8 North America: 1.85 South America: 2.39 Oceania: 2.15 1970 Africa: 2.63 Asia: 2.58 Europe: 0.67 North America: 1.84 South America: 2.36 Oceania: 2.02 1971 Africa: 2.61 Asia: 2.43 Europe: 0.71 North America: 1.72 South America: 2.33 Oceania: 2.35 1972 Africa: 2.65 Asia: 2.46 Europe: 0.82 North America: 1.75 South America: 2.28 Oceania: 2.35 1973 Africa: 2.66 Asia: 2.53 Europe: 0.82 North America: 1.48 South America: 2.27 Oceania: 2.31 1974 Africa: 2.68 Asia: 2.53 Europe: 0.67 North America: 1.48 South America: 2.26 Oceania: 2.28 1975 Africa: 2.77 Asia: 2.36 Europe: 0.81 North America: 1.6 South America: 2.24 Oceania: 2.52 1976 Africa: 2.69 Asia: 2.4 Europe: 0.71 North America: 1.59 South America: 2.23 Oceania: 2.38 1977 Africa: 2.66 Asia: 2.46 Europe: 0.72 North America: 1.35 South America: 2.26 Oceania: 2.07 1978 Africa: 2.78 Asia: 2.44 Europe: 0.71 North America: 1.39 South America: 2.28 Oceania: 2.04 1979 Africa: 2.75 Asia: 2.4 Europe: 0.66 North America: 1.26 South America: 2.26 Oceania: 2.1 1980 Africa: 2.92 Asia: 2.39 Europe: 0.66 North America: 1.41 South America: 2.27 Oceania: 2.3 1981 Africa: 2.85 Asia: 2.35 Europe: 0.64 North America: 1.43 South America: 2.26 Oceania: 2.21 1982 Africa: 2.85 Asia: 2.45 Europe: 0.59 North America: 1.28 South America: 2.23 Oceania: 2.33 1983 Africa: 2.86 Asia: 2.42 Europe: 0.59 North America: 1.56 South America: 2.19 Oceania: 2.39 1984 Africa: 2.76 Asia: 2.46 Europe: 0.5 North America: 1.46 South America: 2.16 Oceania: 2.33 1985 Africa: 2.87 Asia: 2.39 Europe: 0.46 North America: 1.43 South America: 2.12 Oceania: 2.29 1986 Africa: 2.92 Asia: 2.35 Europe: 0.48 North America: 1.46 South America: 2.06 Oceania: 2.27 1987 Africa: 2.92 Asia: 2.55 Europe: 0.53 North America: 1.41 South America: 2.02 Oceania: 2.25 1988 Africa: 2.84 Asia: 2.32 Europe: 0.49 North America: 1.31 South America: 1.98 Oceania: 2.24 1989 Africa: 2.71 Asia: 2.59 Europe: 0.47 North America: 1.78 South America: 1.95 Oceania: 2.23 1990 Africa: 2.73 Asia: 2.41 Europe: 0.34 North America: 1.81 South America: 1.93 Oceania: 2.08 1991 Africa: 2.62 Asia: 2.25 Europe: 0.27 North America: 1.53 South America: 1.86 Oceania: 2.04 1992 Africa: 2.68 Asia: 2.32 Europe: 0.3 North America: 1.54 South America: 1.82 Oceania: 1.76 1993 Africa: 2.71 Asia: 2.22 Europe: 0.36 North America: 1.38 South America: 1.8 Oceania: 1.56 1994 Africa: 2.57 Asia: 2.16 Europe: 0.32 North America: 1.26 South America: 1.75 Oceania: 1.51 1995 Africa: 2.57 Asia: 2.01 Europe: 0.24 North America: 1.25 South America: 1.79 Oceania: 1.47 1996 Africa: 2.45 Asia: 1.98 Europe: 0.2 North America: 1.23 South America: 1.84 Oceania: 1.51 1997 Africa: 2.33 Asia: 1.88 Europe: 0.21 North America: 1.24 South America: 1.8 Oceania: 1.34 1998 Africa: 2.52 Asia: 1.87 Europe: 0.17 North America: 1.23 South America: 1.78 Oceania: 1.3 1999 Africa: 2.5 Asia: 1.73 Europe: 0.23 North America: 1.22 South America: 1.73 Oceania: 1.3 2000 Africa: 2.51 Asia: 1.68 Europe: 0.22 North America: 1.16 South America: 1.6 Oceania: 1.12 2001 Africa: 2.57 Asia: 1.66 Europe: 0.31 North America: 1.05 South America: 1.47 Oceania: 0.82 2002 Africa: 2.59 Asia: 1.54 Europe: 0.28 North America: 0.9 South America: 1.33 Oceania: 0.78 2003 Africa: 2.5 Asia: 1.48 Europe: 0.24 North America: 1.12 South America: 1.21 Oceania: 0.8 2004 Africa: 2.54 Asia: 1.63 Europe: 0.21 North America: 1.11 South America: 1.14 Oceania: 0.93 2005 Africa: 2.54 Asia: 1.67 Europe: 0.16 North America: 1.14 South America: 1.07 Oceania: 0.91 2006 Africa: 2.55 Asia: 1.59 Europe: 0.17 North America: 1.2 South America: 1.05 Oceania: 0.9 2007 Africa: 2.59 Asia: 1.66 Europe: 0.21 North America: 1.04 South America: 1 Oceania: 0.84 2008 Africa: 2.63 Asia: 1.73 Europe: 0.22 North America: 1.08 South America: 1.01 Oceania: 0.71 2009 Africa: 2.59 Asia: 1.59 Europe: 0.3 North America: 0.96 South America: 1.04 Oceania: 0.42 2010 Africa: 2.63 Asia: 1.5 Europe: 0.11 North America: 0.93 South America: 1.1 Oceania: 0.41 2011 Africa: 2.62 Asia: 1.49 Europe: 0.14 North America: 0.88 South America: 1.07 Oceania: 0.55 2012 Africa: 2.57 Asia: 1.51 Europe: 0.17 North America: 0.92 South America: 1.02 Oceania: 0.55 2013 Africa: 2.46 Asia: 1.57 Europe: 0.07 North America: 0.92 South America: 0.97 Oceania: 0.61 2014 Africa: 2.45 Asia: 1.49 Europe: 0.08 North America: 0.91 South America: 1.01 Oceania: 0.6 2015 Africa: 2.47 Asia: 1.46 Europe: 0.11 North America: 0.78 South America: 1.05 Oceania: 0.53 2016 Africa: 2.45 Asia: 1.43 Europe: 0.1 North America: 0.66 South America: 1.02 Oceania: 0.33 2017 Africa: 2.43 Asia: 1.34 Europe: 0.21 North America: 0.36 South America: 1.22 Oceania: 0.33 2018 Africa: 2.4 Asia: 1.29 Europe: 0.32 North America: 0.45 South America: 1.41 Oceania: 0.2 2019 Africa: 2.38 Asia: 1.2 Europe: 0.16 North America: 0.46 South America: 1.38 Oceania: 0.1 2020 Africa: 2.38 Asia: 1.1 Europe: 0.12 North America: 0.37 South America: 0.99 Oceania: 0.22 2021 Africa: 2.29 Asia: 0.94 Europe: 0.05 North America: 0.38 South America: 0.84 Oceania: 0.24 2022 Africa: 2.25 Asia: 1.27 Europe: 0.23 North America: 0.34 South America: 0.77 Oceania: 0.44 2023 Africa: 2.22 Asia: 1.21 Europe: 0.29 North America: 0.47 South America: 0.72 Oceania: 0.63 2024 Africa: 2.22 Asia: 1.19 Europe: 0.27 North America: 0.48 South America: 0.72 Oceania: 0.6 2025 Africa: 2.17 Asia: 1.05 Europe: 0.13 North America: 0.44 South America: 0.72 Oceania: 0.59 1961 1981 1991 2001 2025

By continent

median country
Africa 2.17 %
Asia 1.05 %
Europe 0.13 %
North America 0.44 %
South America 0.72 %
Oceania 0.59 %

Tick a country in the table to add it to the chart above, up to six at a time. The ranking uses the latest year for which at least half of the countries have a value; countries without a value that year are not listed.