The 20 Most Populated Countries in the World in 2019
World statistics can tell you a lot about individual countries. One statistic that is very revealing is the population of a country. A country’s population often doesn’t relate to its size, although there are some correlations between the density of a population and the country’s economy. Populations vary from one country to the next, and it is an ever-changing statistic as populations rise and fall around the world. Here are the 20 countries with the highest populations in 2019.
20. Thailand – 69,625,582
Just making it onto the list of the 20 most populated countries in the world is Thailand with a population of 69,625,582. The United Kingdom just misses being on the list as this country is ranked in 21st position, according to the statistics listed on Worldometers. Thailand has experienced a population growth of 0.28 percent between 2018 and 2019. This country has a relatively high density with approximately 136 people per square kilometer.
19. Iran – 82,913,906
Iran has one of the highest population growth rates between 2018 and 2019 at 1.36 percent. Due to the varied landscape of this county, the population density is relatively low, with just 51 people per square kilometer. Around 75 percent of Iran’s population lives in the urban areas of the country, and this country has a 1.07 percent share of the world’s total population.
18. Turkey – 83,429,615
Turkey has experienced relatively high growth rates of 1.32 percent since 2018. It also has quite a high population density as there are approximately 106 people per square kilometer in this country. Most of the population is concentrated in the major cities.
17. Germany – 83,517,045
Germany ranks as the most populated country in Europe, even though it is only the 17th most populated country in the overall world rankings. It has a significantly higher population density than China, the world’s most populated country, as there are 234 people living per square kilometer compared to only 148 people per square kilometer in China. Despite this high density, Germany has a relatively low population growth rate at 0.47 percent.
16. DR Congo – 86,790,567
One of the most interesting statistics relating to DR Congo is the population growth rate as it has the highest population growth rate of the 20 most populated countries at 3.24 percent. This means in future years, there is the possibility that this country will rise up the rankings. Although it has a high population growth rate, it has a low population density of just 37 people per square kilometer. This is because this country has large expanses of land that are uninhabitable, such as dense jungles.
15. Vietnam – 96,462,106
Vietnam has a diverse landscape with some areas densely populated and other areas completely uninhabited. The cities with the largest populations are Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, according to Geoba.se. While the former has a population of around 3.5 million, the latter has a population of approximately 1.43 million. The population growth rate stands at 0.96 percent, while the density is 291 people per square meter.
14. Egypt – 100,388,073
This is the first year that Egypt has had over 100 billion residents, and this is because of a 2 percent population growth in the last year. Although the population of most countries is concentrated predominantly in urban areas, that is not the case in Egypt as there is a fairly even split. 43 percent of people live in an urban area, while 57 percent live in the rural parts of the country.
13. Philippines – 108,116,615
The Philippines consists of 7,641 islands, and the population varies significantly across these islands. While some are highly populated, others are completely uninhabited due to the landscape. Although the capital city of the Philippines is Manila, the most populous city is Quezon City, which has a population of 2,936,116. The population growth rate of the Philippines is 1.37 percent, and this country has a 1.4 percent share of the world population. It is one of the most densely populated countries in the world, as there are 363 per square kilometer.
12. Ethiopia – 112,078,730
Ethiopia is the second-most populous country in Africa and the 12th most populous country overall. Of the 20 countries on this list, Ethiopia has the second-highest growth rate between 2018 and 2019 at 2.61 percent. This is partially due to limited contraceptives and sex education in this country. Although this country is highly populated, the density of the population is only 112 people per square kilometer because this is an arid country, which means that many areas are uninhabitable. Only 21 percent of the population of Ethiopia live in urban areas, with the majority of the population living in rural villages.
11. Japan – 126,860,301
Japan differs from all the other countries on the list as it is the only country that has not experienced population growth since 2018. In fact, the population has decreased by 0.27 percent. Despite the fall in population figures, it is still the 11th most populated country in the world and has a 1.64 percent share of the world population. This country is extremely densely populated as there are 348 people per square kilometer. This means that in terms of population density, Japan ranks fourth in the world.
10. Mexico – 127,575,529
Worldometers, lists Mexico in the tenth position on the rankings of the most populated countries in the world. Since 2018, this country has experienced population growth of 1.1 percent and the country has a fairly low population density of 66 people per square meter. Approximately 83 percent of Mexico’s population lives in an urban area, and around 1.65 percent of the world’s population lives in this country.
9. Russia – 145,872,256
The figures for the population of Russia include the population of Crimea. Although Russia has a high population, the population density is low at around 8.4 people per square meter due to the sheer size of the country, says Wikipedia. The areas with the densest population are European Russia and southwest Siberia. Only 27 percent of the population lives in rural areas. 81 percent of the population consists of ethnic Russians, as there are 160 different ethnic groups and indigenous peoples living within the borders of this country.
8. Bangladesh – 163,046,161
The key statistic relating to the population of Bangladesh is its population density. There are a staggering 1,253 people per square kilometer, making it the most densely populated country in the world. There is a big leap between the population density of this country and the country in the second position on the list of most densely populated countries. India is second on that list with a population density of 460 people per square kilometer. Despite these surprising figures, the population of Bangladesh continues to rise at a rate of 1.03 percent between 2018 and 2019. Unlike other countries where the population is concentrated in urban areas, only 39 percent of the population live in the cities of Bangladesh. This means that a higher proportion of the population lives in rural areas.
7. Nigeria – 200,963,599
Nigeria is not only the 7th most populated country in the world, but it is also the most populated country in Africa. This country has quite rapid growth, at a rate of 2.6 percent since 2018. However, there has been an overall growth rate of 60 percent in under two decades, which shows that the population in Nigeria is increasing at a faster rate than most other countries in the world. There is an even split of the population living in urban and rural areas, with 51 percent living in the country’s cities, and 49 percent living in rural areas.
6. Brazil – 211,049,527
While Brazil is the sixth most populated country in the world, it is the most populated country in South America. Due to the diverse landscape, including the vast Amazon Jungle, 87 percent of the population is concentrated in the urban areas. Although the capital of this country is Brasilia, its most populous city is Sao Paulo, which has a population of 12,176,866. Brazil has a 2.74 percent share of the world’s population and a growth rate of 0.75 percent since 2018. Despite the high population, the population density is low, with only 25 people living per square kilometers. This is due to vast expanses of this country being uninhabited.
5. Pakistan – 216,565,318
Pakistan is another country where the population is not concentrated in urban areas as only 35 of the people living in this country reside in the cities. Although the population growth between 2018 and 2019 is only 2.04 percent, Wikipedia provides statistics based on the 2017 census that shows the country has experienced population growth of 59 percent over a 19 year period. Pakistan also has a high population density with 281 people per square kilometer.
4. Indonesia – 270,625,568
This country has experienced a growth of 1.1 percent over a 12-month period and the population density is 142 people per square kilometer. There is an even split of people living in urban and rural areas. An interesting fact is that 58 percent of the Indonesian population lives on the island of Java, which makes it the most populous island in the world. Across the island, there is an uneven spread of the population. This is due to the diversity of the landscapes as some islands are more habitable than others. The population figures are not completely accurate, as islands such as Papau have uncontacted tribes living on them. This country is ethnically diverse, as there are over 300 distinct native ethnic groups amongst its population.
3. United States – 329,064,917
As one of the largest countries in the world and one of the leading economic and political powers, it is hardly surprising that the United Sates ranks as one of the most populated countries in the world. According to Geoba.se, the most populated city in the United States is New York City, as this city has over eight million residents. The second most populous city is Los Angeles with a population of approximately 3.8 million people.
2. India – 1,366,417,754
India has long been one of the top-ranking countries in terms of population and it is continuing to grow as there was a population growth of 1.02 percent in the last year. It is also the second-most densely populated country in the world, with 460 people per square meter. Around 35 percent of people live in urban areas, while 65 percent live in rural locations. India has a 17.71 percent share of the world population.
1. China – 1,433,783,686
With a population of 1,433,783,686, China is the most populated country in the world. According to World Population, China had a population of 1,427,647,786 in the previous year, which means that this country has a population growth rate of 0.43 percent. Much of the population is concentrated in China’s major cities, while the mountainous areas are sparsely populated. In fact, 60 percent of the population live in China’s cities. In terms of density, the figure is relatively low considering the overall population. China has a population density of 153 people per square kilometer. This is because many rural areas have a sparse population. As it is the most populated country in the world, China has an 18.59 percent share of the world’s total population.
