Fastest growing countries (2026)

This ranking sorts all 218 countries and territories by their latest annual population growth rate (2025). Among countries with at least one million people, United Arab Emirates grows fastest, at +4.68% per year — roughly 526,749 additional people over the past year.

Growth above 2% per year — enough to double a population within about 35 years — currently applies to 49 countries, concentrated overwhelmingly in Africa and the Gulf. At the other end of the table, 50 populations are shrinking outright, led by parts of Eastern Europe and East Asia.

The world as a whole grows at about 0.91% per year. Rates combine births, deaths and migration — a Gulf state can top this list through immigration alone, while a high-birth-rate country loses ground to emigration.

More rankings:By population Most dense Median age Life expectancy Fertility

Fastest growing countries (2026)
#	Country	Annual growth	Population	Annual change
1	United Arab Emirates	+4.68%	11,513,149	+526,749
2	Saudi Arabia	+4.63%	36,973,555	+1,673,275
3	Oman	+3.96%	5,494,691	+213,153
4	Qatar	+3.92%	2,972,215	+114,393
5	Syria	+3.77%	25,620,427	+947,667
6	Chad	+3.41%	21,003,705	+704,582
7	Central African Republic	+3.37%	5,513,282	+182,592
8	Somalia	+3.34%	19,654,739	+645,588
9	Niger	+3.22%	27,917,831	+885,419
10	DR Congo	+3.20%	112,832,473	+3,556,208
11	Georgia	+3.18%	3,935,766	+123,248
12	Angola	+3.00%	39,040,039	+1,154,190
13	Ukraine	+2.92%	38,980,376	+1,120,155
14	Mali	+2.90%	25,198,821	+720,226
15	Yemen	+2.89%	41,773,878	+1,190,714
16	Tanzania	+2.86%	70,545,865	+1,985,708
17	Mozambique	+2.85%	35,631,653	+999,887
18	Mauritania	+2.78%	5,315,065	+145,670
19	Zambia	+2.77%	21,913,874	+598,918
20	Afghanistan	+2.77%	43,844,111	+1,196,619
21	Uganda	+2.70%	51,384,894	+1,369,802
22	Cameroon	+2.56%	29,879,337	+755,593
23	Malawi	+2.56%	22,216,120	+560,834
24	Ethiopia	+2.55%	135,472,051	+3,412,284
25	Burundi	+2.41%	14,390,003	+342,217
26	Ivory Coast	+2.41%	32,711,547	+777,317
27	Benin	+2.40%	14,814,460	+351,736
28	Madagascar	+2.40%	32,740,678	+775,722
29	Equatorial Guinea	+2.40%	1,938,431	+45,915
30	Sudan	+2.38%	51,662,147	+1,213,184
31	Republic of the Congo	+2.36%	6,484,437	+151,476
32	Solomon Islands	+2.35%	838,645	+19,447
33	Palestine	+2.33%	5,413,596	+124,444
34	Guinea	+2.31%	15,099,727	+344,942
35	Senegal	+2.30%	18,931,966	+429,982
36	Vanuatu	+2.23%	335,169	+7,392
37	Gambia	+2.23%	2,822,093	+62,105
38	Burkina Faso	+2.21%	24,074,580	+525,799
39	Togo	+2.18%	8,591,626	+185,068
40	Rwanda	+2.17%	14,569,341	+312,774
41	Guinea-Bissau	+2.16%	2,249,515	+48,163
42	Gabon	+2.11%	2,593,130	+54,178
43	Iraq	+2.10%	47,020,774	+978,759
44	Liberia	+2.09%	5,731,206	+118,389
45	Nigeria	+2.06%	237,527,782	+4,848,304
46	Namibia	+2.05%	3,092,816	+62,685
47	Sierra Leone	+2.04%	8,819,794	+177,772
48	South Sudan	+2.03%	12,188,788	+245,380
49	Gibraltar	+2.01%	40,126	+797
50	Eritrea	+2.00%	3,607,003	+71,400
51	São Tomé and Príncipe	+1.98%	240,254	+4,718
52	Kenya	+1.93%	57,532,493	+1,099,549
53	Malta	+1.89%	579,704	+10,857
54	Zimbabwe	+1.88%	16,950,795	+316,422
55	Uzbekistan	+1.88%	37,053,428	+691,569
56	Comoros	+1.85%	882,847	+16,219
57	Cayman Islands	+1.85%	75,844	+1,387
58	Ghana	+1.83%	35,064,272	+636,858
59	Tajikistan	+1.83%	10,786,734	+195,807
60	Papua New Guinea	+1.75%	10,762,817	+186,315
61	Armenia	+1.74%	3,086,700	+53,200
62	Kyrgyzstan	+1.66%	7,343,064	+121,196
63	Honduras	+1.65%	11,005,850	+180,147
64	Turkmenistan	+1.65%	7,618,847	+124,349
65	Ireland	+1.63%	5,484,367	+88,577
66	Botswana	+1.61%	2,562,122	+40,983
67	Pakistan	+1.56%	255,219,554	+3,950,390
68	Egypt	+1.56%	118,365,995	+1,827,737
69	Australia	+1.53%	27,614,411	+420,125
70	Guatemala	+1.52%	18,687,881	+281,522
71	Iceland	+1.51%	392,404	+5,898
72	Luxembourg	+1.46%	686,970	+9,958
73	Kiribati	+1.45%	136,488	+1,970
74	Liechtenstein	+1.41%	41,024	+574
75	Belize	+1.39%	422,924	+5,852
76	Bolivia	+1.35%	12,581,843	+168,528
77	Laos	+1.32%	7,873,046	+103,227
78	Algeria	+1.32%	47,435,312	+621,004
79	Sint Maarten	+1.31%	43,923	+573
80	Nicaragua	+1.31%	7,007,502	+91,362
81	Djibouti	+1.31%	1,184,076	+15,354
82	Timor-Leste	+1.27%	1,418,517	+17,879
83	Mongolia	+1.25%	3,568,978	+44,190
84	Panama	+1.22%	4,571,189	+55,612
85	Singapore	+1.22%	6,111,175	+74,315
86	Bangladesh	+1.22%	175,686,899	+2,124,535
87	Kazakhstan	+1.21%	20,843,754	+251,183
88	Paraguay	+1.20%	7,013,078	+83,925
89	Israel	+1.20%	10,122,800	+120,600
90	Cambodia	+1.18%	17,847,982	+209,181
91	Malaysia	+1.17%	35,977,838	+420,165
92	Andorra	+1.17%	82,904	+966
93	South Africa	+1.15%	64,747,319	+740,132
94	Haiti	+1.13%	11,906,095	+133,538
95	Seychelles	+1.13%	122,730	+1,376
96	Lesotho	+1.10%	2,363,325	+25,902
97	Eswatini	+1.07%	1,256,174	+13,352
98	Libya	+1.04%	7,458,555	+77,532
99	Peru	+1.04%	34,576,665	+358,817
100	Spain	+1.03%	49,355,143	+506,303
101	Portugal	+1.03%	10,804,871	+110,190
102	Colombia	+1.01%	53,425,635	+539,272
103	Switzerland	+0.96%	9,092,436	+86,854
104	Canada	+0.94%	41,651,653	+389,324
105	Iran	+0.92%	92,417,681	+849,943
106	New Caledonia	+0.92%	295,333	+2,694
107	Cyprus	+0.91%	1,370,754	+12,472
108	Morocco	+0.91%	38,430,770	+349,597
109	India	+0.89%	1,463,865,525	+12,929,734
110	Suriname	+0.85%	639,850	+5,419
111	Ecuador	+0.85%	18,289,896	+154,418
112	Mexico	+0.83%	131,946,900	+1,085,893
113	Philippines	+0.81%	116,786,962	+943,292
114	Dominican Republic	+0.81%	11,520,487	+92,930
115	Indonesia	+0.78%	285,721,236	+2,233,305
116	Brunei	+0.78%	466,330	+3,609
117	Lebanon	+0.75%	5,849,421	+43,459
118	Bahrain	+0.73%	1,600,366	+11,696
119	Aruba	+0.73%	108,785	+790
120	Guam	+0.73%	168,999	+1,222
121	Belgium	+0.70%	11,941,781	+83,171
122	Norway	+0.69%	5,610,870	+38,591
123	Turks and Caicos Islands	+0.69%	46,855	+320
124	British Virgin Islands	+0.66%	39,732	+261
125	New Zealand	+0.65%	5,324,700	+34,700
126	Nauru	+0.65%	12,025	+78
127	Bhutan	+0.65%	796,682	+5,158
128	Myanmar	+0.64%	54,850,648	+350,557
129	Vietnam	+0.60%	101,598,527	+610,841
130	Samoa	+0.59%	219,306	+1,287
131	Guyana	+0.59%	835,986	+4,899
132	Tunisia	+0.58%	12,348,573	+71,464
133	Denmark	+0.54%	6,009,169	+32,177
134	United States	+0.52%	341,784,857	+1,781,060
135	Netherlands	+0.52%	18,087,633	+94,148
136	Chile	+0.48%	19,859,921	+95,150
137	Faroe Islands	+0.47%	54,900	+260
138	Finland	+0.47%	5,646,436	+26,525
139	Fiji	+0.47%	933,154	+4,370
140	Cape Verde	+0.47%	527,326	+2,449
141	Antigua and Barbuda	+0.46%	94,209	+437
142	Micronesia	+0.46%	113,683	+523
143	Costa Rica	+0.45%	5,152,950	+23,040
144	Bahamas	+0.44%	403,033	+1,750
145	Azerbaijan	+0.43%	10,246,996	+44,166
146	El Salvador	+0.43%	6,365,503	+27,310
147	Turkey	+0.42%	85,878,556	+359,895
148	Venezuela	+0.39%	28,516,896	+111,353
149	San Marino	+0.39%	34,109	+132
150	Brazil	+0.38%	212,812,405	+813,832
151	Maldives	+0.36%	529,676	+1,877
152	Argentina	+0.34%	45,851,378	+155,219
153	Austria	+0.33%	9,208,163	+30,181
154	United Kingdom	+0.30%	69,487,000	+206,000
155	North Korea	+0.27%	26,571,036	+72,213
156	Croatia	+0.26%	3,876,200	+10,000
157	Sweden	+0.25%	10,596,620	+26,911
158	France	+0.25%	68,720,337	+168,684
159	French Polynesia	+0.23%	282,465	+658
160	Saint Lucia	+0.23%	180,149	+405
161	Channel Islands	+0.20%	168,466	+340
162	Curaçao	+0.19%	156,263	+296
163	Saint Kitts and Nevis	+0.17%	46,922	+79
164	Slovenia	+0.17%	2,130,986	+3,586
165	Greece	+0.08%	10,413,962	+8,828
166	Grenada	+0.08%	117,303	+96
167	Barbados	+0.06%	282,623	+156
168	Lithuania	+0.02%	2,888,774	+496
169	Greenland	−0.01%	56,831	−5
170	Germany	−0.03%	83,491,249	−25,344
171	Trinidad and Tobago	−0.04%	1,367,764	−569
172	Isle of Man	−0.05%	84,118	−42
173	Uruguay	−0.06%	3,384,688	−1,900
174	Italy	−0.06%	58,915,656	−37,048
175	Montenegro	−0.06%	623,129	−396
176	Thailand	−0.07%	71,619,863	−48,148
177	Jamaica	−0.07%	2,837,077	−2,098
178	Russia	−0.11%	143,513,328	−156,320
179	Nepal	−0.11%	29,618,118	−32,936
180	Bermuda	−0.13%	64,555	−81
181	Bulgaria	−0.13%	6,433,302	−8,119
182	South Korea	−0.13%	51,684,564	−66,501
183	Slovakia	−0.15%	5,413,813	−8,256
184	Macao	−0.16%	685,900	−1,100
185	Mauritius	−0.16%	1,243,741	−2,038
186	Romania	−0.17%	19,020,271	−31,533
187	Czech Republic	−0.17%	10,886,878	−18,150
188	China	−0.17%	1,406,585,000	−2,390,000
189	Palau	−0.18%	17,663	−32
190	North Macedonia	−0.19%	1,820,909	−3,450
191	Jordan	−0.28%	11,520,684	−32,192
192	Hong Kong	−0.34%	7,498,900	−25,200
193	Poland	−0.34%	36,435,861	−123,372
194	Cuba	−0.39%	10,937,203	−42,580
195	Tonga	−0.42%	103,742	−433
196	Estonia	−0.43%	1,366,475	−5,866
197	Taiwan	−0.43%	23,213,962	−103,183
198	Japan	−0.49%	123,366,734	−608,637
199	Hungary	−0.50%	9,514,251	−47,814
200	Dominica	−0.51%	65,871	−334
201	Belarus	−0.51%	9,085,991	−46,638
202	Puerto Rico	−0.55%	3,184,835	−17,686
203	U.S. Virgin Islands	−0.56%	103,792	−585
204	Serbia	−0.57%	6,549,143	−37,333
205	Kuwait	−0.65%	4,865,298	−31,965
206	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	−0.69%	99,924	−692
207	Sri Lanka	−0.73%	21,756,000	−160,000
208	Monaco	−0.75%	38,341	−290
209	Bosnia and Herzegovina	−0.77%	3,140,095	−24,158
210	Latvia	−0.99%	1,847,785	−18,339
211	Kosovo	−1.10%	1,576,876	−17,477
212	Albania	−1.17%	2,349,580	−27,548
213	American Samoa	−1.59%	46,029	−736
214	Tuvalu	−1.61%	9,492	−154
215	Northern Mariana Islands	−1.68%	43,541	−737
216	Moldova	−1.75%	2,360,527	−41,779
217	Marshall Islands	−3.43%	36,282	−1,266
218	Saint Martin	−4.65%	24,941	−1,188

Growth rates are the latest World Bank annual estimates (2025) and include migration. Click any country for its full profile.

Frequently asked questions

Which country has the fastest growing population?

Among countries with at least one million people, United Arab Emirates has the fastest growing population at +4.68% per year (2025). Including smaller territories, United Arab Emirates tops the full table at +4.68%.

How many countries are losing population?

50 of the 218 countries and territories in this ranking currently have negative population growth.

What does 2% annual growth mean in practice?

A population growing 2% per year doubles in roughly 35 years. 49 countries currently grow at or above that pace.