The Most Populous Nations on Earth

On July 11, 1987, the world population passed the five billion mark and July 11 has been marked by the U.N. as World Population Day since. This year, the organization's Population Division is expecting another milestone as the world population is expected to climb above eight billion people.

With population growth rates varying widely - and slowing in many places - it is highly likely that the eight billionth world citizen will be born in India, which has retained solid growth. The country is expected to become the most populous nation on Earth by mid-2023. Population growth in China - currently the biggest country on Earth - has all but stopped, with the U.N. expecting a population decrease as of July 1, 2022, for the first time in recent history. A large share of people live in China as well as India, with around 19 percent each of the world population being residents of the countries.

Asia is by far the most populous continent on Earth and is home to several more of the world's largest nations: Indonesia, Pakistan, Japan and Bangladesh. This makes half of the world's twelve biggest countries Asian.

The United Nations estimate that the Asian population will peak at 5.3 billion in 2055. Latin America will reach its population peaks at 752 million inhabitants around the same time, according to the projection. African and North American populations are expected to keep growing, albeit at a slower pace, beyond the current century, while European populations are already declining, according to the U.N.