Population Growth Rate by Country in 2026

2026 medium projection

Compare annual proportional population change across all 237 profiles, from the fastest growth to the steepest decline.

Countries and areas: 237
Highest-ranked: Central African Republic+3.3%
Rank 10: Oman+2.8%
End of table: Saint Martin (French part)-4.2%

Estimate or projection?

The UN series provides historical estimates through 2023. Figures from 2024 onward—including 2026—are medium-scenario projections, not counts or predictions guaranteed to occur.

Complete population growth rate by country in 2026 ranking

Select any country to inspect its full age-by-sex structure and projections.

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Population Growth Rate by Country in 2026
Rank	Country or area	Region	2026 growth	2026 population
1	Central African Republic	Africa	+3.3%	5,698,984
2	Somalia	Africa	+3.2%	20,305,907
3	Democratic Republic of the Congo	Africa	+3.1%	116,452,162
3	Niger	Africa	+3.1%	28,814,878
5	Mayotte	Africa	+3.0%	347,536
5	Syria	Asia	+3.0%	26,472,497
7	Sudan	Africa	+3.0%	53,282,719
8	Angola	Africa	+3.0%	40,215,180
9	Mali	Africa	+2.9%	25,932,275
10	Oman	Asia	+2.8%	5,671,458
11	Mozambique	Africa	+2.8%	36,639,850
11	Tanzania	Africa	+2.8%	72,563,780
13	Yemen	Asia	+2.8%	42,961,653
14	Zambia	Africa	+2.7%	22,521,915
15	Afghanistan	Asia	+2.7%	45,047,068
16	Mauritania	Africa	+2.7%	5,461,319
17	Uganda	Africa	+2.6%	52,761,470
18	Chad	Africa	+2.6%	21,560,380
18	Tokelau	Oceania	+2.6%	2,691
20	Malawi	Africa	+2.5%	22,785,535
21	Cameroon	Africa	+2.5%	30,640,817
22	Ethiopia	Africa	+2.5%	138,902,185
23	Benin	Africa	+2.4%	15,170,420
24	Ivory Coast	Africa	+2.3%	33,494,346
24	Madagascar	Africa	+2.3%	33,522,052
26	Republic of the Congo	Africa	+2.3%	6,637,786
27	Equatorial Guinea	Africa	+2.3%	1,984,468
28	Burundi	Africa	+2.3%	14,729,157
29	Solomon Islands	Oceania	+2.3%	858,288
30	Senegal	Africa	+2.3%	19,366,548
31	Guinea	Africa	+2.2%	15,441,992
32	Liberia	Africa	+2.2%	5,853,949
33	Vanuatu	Oceania	+2.2%	342,564
34	Burkina Faso	Africa	+2.1%	24,601,700
34	Gambia	Africa	+2.1%	2,884,079
36	Togo	Africa	+2.1%	9,930,918
37	Jordan	Asia	+2.1%	11,589,532
37	Rwanda	Africa	+2.1%	14,889,693
39	Guinea-Bissau	Africa	+2.1%	2,297,808
40	Eritrea	Africa	+2.1%	3,682,669
41	Gabon	Africa	+2.0%	2,647,400
41	Iraq	Asia	+2.0%	48,007,437
43	Nigeria	Africa	+2.0%	242,431,832
44	South Sudan	Africa	+2.0%	12,436,037
45	Sierra Leone	Africa	+2.0%	8,996,744
46	Sao Tome and Principe	Africa	+1.9%	244,994
47	State of Palestine	Asia	+1.9%	5,692,790
48	Kenya	Africa	+1.9%	58,636,412
48	Namibia	Africa	+1.9%	3,153,246
50	Zimbabwe	Africa	+1.9%	17,273,580
51	Bahrain	Asia	+1.8%	1,675,572
52	Comoros	Africa	+1.8%	899,010
53	Ghana	Africa	+1.8%	35,697,557
54	Uzbekistan	Asia	+1.8%	37,724,223
55	Tajikistan	Asia	+1.7%	10,978,598
56	Cayman Islands	Latin America and the Caribbean	+1.7%	77,196
56	Gibraltar	Europe	+1.7%	40,867
58	Saudi Arabia	Asia	+1.7%	35,165,787
58	United Arab Emirates	Asia	+1.7%	11,574,682
60	Papua New Guinea	Oceania	+1.7%	10,947,848
61	Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba	Latin America and the Caribbean	+1.6%	31,913
61	French Guiana	Latin America and the Caribbean	+1.6%	318,872
61	Qatar	Asia	+1.6%	3,173,559
64	Botswana	Africa	+1.6%	2,603,388
65	Honduras	Latin America and the Caribbean	+1.6%	11,184,760
65	Pakistan	Asia	+1.6%	259,299,792
67	Western Sahara	Africa	+1.6%	610,813
68	Seychelles	Africa	+1.5%	134,959
69	Turkmenistan	Asia	+1.5%	7,736,632
70	Guatemala	Latin America and the Caribbean	+1.5%	18,967,978
71	Egypt	Africa	+1.4%	120,101,175
72	Kiribati	Oceania	+1.4%	138,445
73	Kyrgyzstan	Asia	+1.4%	7,400,464
74	Kuwait	Asia	+1.4%	5,102,773
75	Vatican City	Europe	+1.4%	506
76	Israel	Asia	+1.4%	9,647,689
77	Belize	Latin America and the Caribbean	+1.3%	428,644
78	Bolivia	Latin America and the Caribbean	+1.3%	12,749,291
78	Djibouti	Africa	+1.3%	1,199,459
78	Timor-Leste	Asia	+1.3%	1,436,923
81	Laos	Asia	+1.3%	7,974,018
81	Nicaragua	Latin America and the Caribbean	+1.3%	7,097,329
83	Algeria	Africa	+1.2%	48,028,334
84	Bangladesh	Asia	+1.2%	177,818,044
85	Panama	Latin America and the Caribbean	+1.2%	4,625,718
86	Paraguay	Latin America and the Caribbean	+1.1%	7,095,279
87	Libya	Africa	+1.1%	7,539,852
88	Kazakhstan	Asia	+1.1%	21,083,626
88	Sint Maarten (Dutch part)	Latin America and the Caribbean	+1.1%	44,447
90	Cambodia	Asia	+1.1%	18,051,219
90	Malaysia	Asia	+1.1%	36,385,115
92	Lesotho	Africa	+1.1%	2,389,336
92	Mongolia	Asia	+1.1%	3,556,798
94	Eswatini	Africa	+1.1%	1,269,859
94	Haiti	Latin America and the Caribbean	+1.1%	12,037,506
96	Saint Barthélemy	Latin America and the Caribbean	+1.1%	11,550
96	South Africa	Africa	+1.1%	65,453,084
98	Luxembourg	Europe	+1.0%	687,448
99	Peru	Latin America and the Caribbean	+1.0%	34,922,148
100	Andorra	Europe	+1.0%	83,753
101	Colombia	Latin America and the Caribbean	+0.9%	53,936,226
101	Iceland	Europe	+0.9%	402,329
103	Australia	Oceania	+0.9%	27,227,096
104	Ireland	Europe	+0.9%	5,356,950
105	Faroe Islands	Europe	+0.9%	56,526
106	India	Asia	+0.9%	1,476,625,576
107	Ecuador	Latin America and the Caribbean	+0.8%	18,444,506
107	Lebanon	Asia	+0.8%	5,897,467
107	Morocco	Africa	+0.8%	38,762,441
110	New Caledonia	Oceania	+0.8%	297,892
110	Suriname	Latin America and the Caribbean	+0.8%	645,256
112	Cyprus	Asia	+0.8%	1,382,334
113	Canada	Northern America	+0.8%	40,467,728
113	Philippines	Asia	+0.8%	117,724,472
115	Mexico	Latin America and the Caribbean	+0.8%	132,997,658
116	Iran	Asia	+0.8%	93,168,497
117	Dominican Republic	Latin America and the Caribbean	+0.8%	11,609,500
118	Indonesia	Asia	+0.7%	287,886,782
119	Brunei	Asia	+0.7%	469,775
120	Bhutan	Asia	+0.7%	802,214
121	Guam	Oceania	+0.7%	170,185
122	New Zealand	Oceania	+0.7%	5,287,479
123	Nauru	Oceania	+0.6%	12,101
124	Myanmar	Asia	+0.6%	55,184,819
125	Guyana	Latin America and the Caribbean	+0.6%	840,890
125	Turks and Caicos Islands	Latin America and the Caribbean	+0.6%	47,148
127	Liechtenstein	Europe	+0.6%	40,368
128	Samoa	Oceania	+0.6%	220,528
128	Singapore	Asia	+0.6%	5,905,748
130	Vietnam	Asia	+0.6%	102,177,431
131	Azerbaijan	Asia	+0.5%	10,454,855
132	Tunisia	Africa	+0.5%	12,415,138
132	United Kingdom	Europe	+0.5%	69,931,528
134	Netherlands	Europe	+0.5%	18,448,775
135	Sri Lanka	Asia	+0.5%	23,348,315
136	United States	Northern America	+0.5%	349,035,494
137	Anguilla	Latin America and the Caribbean	+0.5%	14,817
138	Réunion	Africa	+0.5%	886,298
139	British Virgin Islands	Latin America and the Caribbean	+0.4%	39,936
140	Antigua and Barbuda	Latin America and the Caribbean	+0.4%	94,626
140	Fiji	Oceania	+0.4%	937,282
140	Micronesia	Oceania	+0.4%	114,182
143	Cabo Verde	Africa	+0.4%	529,630
143	Switzerland	Europe	+0.4%	9,007,798
143	Venezuela	Latin America and the Caribbean	+0.4%	28,633,711
146	Chile	Latin America and the Caribbean	+0.4%	19,945,850
146	Costa Rica	Latin America and the Caribbean	+0.4%	5,174,789
148	El Salvador	Latin America and the Caribbean	+0.4%	6,391,254
149	Sweden	Europe	+0.4%	10,701,046
150	Bahamas	Latin America and the Caribbean	+0.4%	404,628
151	Malta	Europe	+0.4%	549,011
151	Norway	Europe	+0.4%	5,652,989
153	Maldives	Asia	+0.3%	531,517
154	Brazil	Latin America and the Caribbean	+0.3%	213,562,666
155	Argentina	Latin America and the Caribbean	+0.3%	46,003,734
155	Niue	Oceania	+0.3%	1,822
157	Denmark	Europe	+0.3%	6,023,520
158	Turkey	Asia	+0.3%	87,926,082
159	Macao	Asia	+0.2%	723,188
160	North Korea	Asia	+0.2%	26,633,691
161	French Polynesia	Oceania	+0.2%	283,076
162	Saint Lucia	Latin America and the Caribbean	+0.2%	180,488
163	Guernsey	Europe	+0.1%	64,610
164	France	Europe	+0.1%	66,746,401
164	Nepal	Asia	+0.1%	29,629,410
166	Saint Kitts and Nevis	Latin America and the Caribbean	+0.1%	46,992
167	Belgium	Europe	+0.1%	11,774,642
168	Jersey	Europe	+0.1%	104,106
168	Trinidad and Tobago	Latin America and the Caribbean	+0.1%	1,513,268
170	San Marino	Europe	+0.1%	33,605
171	Barbados	Latin America and the Caribbean	+0.0%	282,724
171	Grenada	Latin America and the Caribbean	+0.0%	117,362
173	Aruba	Latin America and the Caribbean	-0.0%	108,164
174	Curaçao	Latin America and the Caribbean	-0.0%	185,440
175	Georgia	Asia	-0.1%	3,804,642
176	Austria	Europe	-0.1%	9,107,266
176	Uruguay	Latin America and the Caribbean	-0.1%	3,382,537
178	Finland	Europe	-0.1%	5,621,739
178	Isle of Man	Europe	-0.1%	84,054
180	Thailand	Asia	-0.1%	71,559,614
181	Spain	Europe	-0.1%	47,850,793
182	Falkland Islands (Malvinas)	Latin America and the Caribbean	-0.1%	3,465
183	Slovenia	Europe	-0.1%	2,114,574
184	South Korea	Asia	-0.1%	51,600,388
185	Bermuda	Northern America	-0.1%	64,459
186	Jamaica	Latin America and the Caribbean	-0.2%	2,833,404
186	Portugal	Europe	-0.2%	10,395,362
186	Slovakia	Europe	-0.2%	5,451,342
189	Czechia	Europe	-0.2%	10,527,780
190	China	Asia	-0.2%	1,412,914,089
191	Germany	Europe	-0.2%	83,644,258
191	Greenland	Northern America	-0.2%	55,629
191	Russia	Europe	-0.2%	143,394,458
194	Mauritius	Africa	-0.3%	1,265,059
195	Palau	Oceania	-0.3%	17,614
196	Kosovo	Europe	-0.3%	1,666,992
197	Hungary	Europe	-0.3%	9,585,818
198	Guadeloupe	Latin America and the Caribbean	-0.4%	372,453
199	Poland	Europe	-0.4%	37,843,188
200	Italy	Europe	-0.4%	58,926,166
201	Cuba	Latin America and the Caribbean	-0.4%	10,892,659
202	Greece	Europe	-0.4%	9,897,116
202	Tonga	Oceania	-0.4%	103,291
204	Taiwan	Asia	-0.4%	23,011,292
205	Hong Kong	Asia	-0.5%	7,378,602
206	Puerto Rico	Latin America and the Caribbean	-0.5%	3,222,688
207	Dominica	Latin America and the Caribbean	-0.5%	65,511
207	Estonia	Europe	-0.5%	1,331,062
209	Montenegro	Europe	-0.5%	626,233
210	Japan	Asia	-0.6%	122,427,731
210	North Macedonia	Europe	-0.6%	1,804,062
212	Monaco	Europe	-0.6%	38,087
212	Romania	Europe	-0.6%	18,800,605
214	Croatia	Europe	-0.7%	3,822,345
214	Serbia	Europe	-0.7%	6,641,964
216	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	Latin America and the Caribbean	-0.7%	99,244
217	Belarus	Europe	-0.7%	8,937,018
218	Armenia	Asia	-0.7%	2,930,915
218	Wallis and Futuna Islands	Oceania	-0.7%	11,113
220	Bulgaria	Europe	-0.7%	6,667,660
221	Albania	Europe	-0.7%	2,751,025
221	Ukraine	Europe	-0.7%	39,535,848
223	Latvia	Europe	-0.8%	1,835,935
224	Martinique	Latin America and the Caribbean	-0.8%	337,711
225	Lithuania	Europe	-0.8%	2,797,338
226	Montserrat	Latin America and the Caribbean	-0.8%	4,328
227	Bosnia and Herzegovina	Europe	-0.8%	3,114,242
228	United States Virgin Islands	Latin America and the Caribbean	-0.9%	83,400
229	Moldova	Europe	-1.0%	2,961,253
230	Saint Pierre and Miquelon	Northern America	-1.1%	5,513
231	Saint Helena	Africa	-1.1%	5,148
232	Tuvalu	Oceania	-1.2%	9,362
233	Northern Mariana Islands	Oceania	-1.3%	42,914
234	American Samoa	Oceania	-1.5%	45,318
235	Cook Islands	Oceania	-3.3%	12,826
236	Marshall Islands	Oceania	-3.3%	35,075
237	Saint Martin (French part)	Latin America and the Caribbean	-4.2%	23,898

What this ranking measures—and what it does not

Definition

Annual population growth combines births, deaths, immigration, and emigration into the percentage change in total population during the reference period.

Why it matters

The rate makes differently sized populations comparable, while the accompanying 2026 total shows the scale to which that rate applies. Percentage growth and people added are different questions.

Read with care

A one-year rate can be volatile, particularly in small populations or migration-sensitive areas. It should not be compounded unchanged to estimate 2050 or 2100.

What stands out in this comparison

Central African Republic leads with +3.3%, while Oman is at rank 10 with +2.8%. At the other end of the complete table, Saint Martin (French part) has -4.2%.

Those positions describe this particular indicator, definition, and reference period. They do not imply that every country near the top has the same population pyramid or demographic path. Open the profiles to compare the underlying cohorts.

First five

Central African Republic — rank 1, +3.3%; 2026 population 5,698,984.
Somalia — rank 2, +3.2%; 2026 population 20,305,907.
Democratic Republic of the Congo — rank 3, +3.1%; 2026 population 116,452,162.
Niger — rank 3, +3.1%; 2026 population 28,814,878.
Mayotte — rank 5, +3.0%; 2026 population 347,536.

Other end of the table

Saint Martin (French part) — rank 237, -4.2%; 2026 population 23,898.
Marshall Islands — rank 236, -3.3%; 2026 population 35,075.
Cook Islands — rank 235, -3.3%; 2026 population 12,826.
American Samoa — rank 234, -1.5%; 2026 population 45,318.
Northern Mariana Islands — rank 233, -1.3%; 2026 population 42,914.

Questions about this ranking

Which country or area ranks first for 2026 growth?

Central African Republic ranks first in this comparison with +3.3%. The table uses 2026 medium projection from UN World Population Prospects 2024.

Which values are estimates and which are projections?

In World Population Prospects 2024, historical estimates run through 2023 and values from 2024 onward are projections. The peak-year table labels historical and projected results separately.

Why might another source show a different rank?

Sources can use different reference dates, revisions, country definitions, estimation methods, or projection scenarios. Close ranks can also change after revisions.