Largest population
India has 1,476,625,576 people in the 2026 medium projection.
Asia population pyramid 2026
4,863,327,398 people in 2026 (projected), a region with 51 country and area profiles in our directory.
- 2026 population
- 4.86Bmedium projection
- Median age
- 32.8 years
- Under age 15
- 21.8%
- Age 65+
- 10.5%
Asia population pyramid
2026 · Share of total by five-year age group and sex
Medium projection
Asia population pyramid for 2026: males on the left and females on the right
100+
95–99
90–94
85–89
80–84
75–79
70–74
65–69
60–64
55–59
50–54
45–49
40–44
35–39
30–34
25–29
20–24
15–19
10–14
5–9
0–4
Hover over or tap a bar to see exact values.
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.
Asia age structure
In 2026, children under 15 make up 21.8% of Asia’s projected population, compared with 10.5% aged 65 or older. The conventional working-age group, 15–64, accounts for 67.8%.
By 2050, the medium scenario places the population at 5,280,378,401—a 9% increase from 2026. The 65+ share is projected to reach 18.6%.
Births, deaths, and migration in Asia
The region is projected to record 64,911,065 births and 34,879,246 deaths in 2026, a natural increase of 30,031,819, with net migration of −2,050,678. Deaths are projected to exceed births from 2055. Between 2000 and 2023, cumulative net migration was −46,834,436.
Annual values; dashed lines after 2023 are the UN medium projection.
Mid-year population for every year; the medium scenario reaches 5.28B in 2050.
Subregions of Asia
The UN divides Asia into 5 subregions. Their age structures often differ more from one another than the regional average suggests.
| Subregion | 2026 population | Median age | Fertility | Under 15 | 65+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Asia | 84,923,544 | 26.8 | 3.10 | 31.3% | 6.7% |
| Eastern Asia | 1,648,245,779 | 41.5 | 1.04 | 14.4% | 16.5% |
| South-Eastern Asia | 704,755,916 | 31.2 | 1.89 | 23.0% | 8.7% |
| Southern Asia | 2,106,270,434 | 27.8 | 2.16 | 25.9% | 7.1% |
| Western Asia | 319,131,725 | 27.7 | 2.50 | 27.1% | 6.4% |
Demographic contrasts within Asia
A regional pyramid is an aggregate, not a description of every country. The profiles within Asia range from a median age of 17.4 years in Afghanistan to 50.2 years in Japan. Those age structures imply different balances of schools, working-age cohorts, and older-age services.
Youngest median age
Afghanistan has a median age of 17.4 years and 42.2% under 15.
Fastest 2026 growth
Syria has projected annual growth of +3.0%.
Countries and areas in Asia
| Rank | Country or area | 2026 population | Median age | Under 15 | 65+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | India | 1,476,625,576 | 29.2 | 23.8% | 7.6% |
| 2 | China | 1,412,914,089 | 40.6 | 14.8% | 15.1% |
| 3 | Indonesia | 287,886,782 | 30.7 | 23.9% | 7.8% |
| 4 | Pakistan | 259,299,792 | 20.8 | 35.8% | 4.4% |
| 5 | Bangladesh | 177,818,044 | 26.3 | 27.3% | 6.8% |
| 6 | Japan | 122,427,731 | 50.2 | 11.0% | 30.2% |
| 7 | Philippines | 117,724,472 | 26.6 | 26.4% | 6.0% |
| 8 | Vietnam | 102,177,431 | 33.9 | 22.4% | 9.9% |
| 9 | Iran | 93,168,497 | 34.5 | 21.6% | 8.9% |
| 10 | Turkey | 87,926,082 | 33.9 | 20.6% | 10.9% |
| 11 | Thailand | 71,559,614 | 41.0 | 14.1% | 16.7% |
| 12 | Myanmar | 55,184,819 | 30.4 | 23.9% | 7.7% |
| 13 | South Korea | 51,600,388 | 46.2 | 9.8% | 21.4% |
| 14 | Iraq | 48,007,437 | 21.1 | 35.4% | 3.5% |
| 15 | Afghanistan | 45,047,068 | 17.4 | 42.2% | 2.5% |
| 16 | Yemen | 42,961,653 | 18.5 | 40.9% | 2.6% |
| 17 | Uzbekistan | 37,724,223 | 27.0 | 31.5% | 6.3% |
| 18 | Malaysia | 36,385,115 | 31.4 | 20.8% | 8.3% |
| 19 | Saudi Arabia | 35,165,787 | 29.7 | 23.4% | 3.2% |
| 20 | Nepal | 29,629,410 | 25.7 | 27.7% | 6.7% |
| 21 | North Korea | 26,633,691 | 36.8 | 18.9% | 13.0% |
| 22 | Syria | 26,472,497 | 23.8 | 27.9% | 5.0% |
| 23 | Sri Lanka | 23,348,315 | 33.6 | 21.4% | 12.8% |
| 24 | Taiwan | 23,011,292 | 45.4 | 11.3% | 20.9% |
| 25 | Kazakhstan | 21,083,626 | 29.7 | 28.9% | 9.3% |
| 26 | Cambodia | 18,051,219 | 26.4 | 29.2% | 6.6% |
| 27 | Jordan | 11,589,532 | 24.9 | 29.6% | 5.0% |
| 28 | United Arab Emirates | 11,574,682 | 31.6 | 15.9% | 1.8% |
| 29 | Tajikistan | 10,978,598 | 22.4 | 35.4% | 4.3% |
| 30 | Azerbaijan | 10,454,855 | 34.1 | 20.6% | 9.8% |
| 31 | Israel | 9,647,689 | 29.3 | 26.9% | 12.8% |
| 32 | Laos | 7,974,018 | 25.3 | 29.5% | 5.0% |
| 33 | Turkmenistan | 7,736,632 | 27.3 | 30.8% | 5.1% |
| 34 | Kyrgyzstan | 7,400,464 | 25.5 | 31.4% | 6.3% |
| 35 | Hong Kong | 7,378,602 | 47.9 | 10.0% | 24.7% |
| 36 | Singapore | 5,905,748 | 36.8 | 11.7% | 14.8% |
| 37 | Lebanon | 5,897,467 | 29.0 | 25.0% | 10.7% |
| 38 | State of Palestine | 5,692,790 | 20.3 | 37.0% | 3.9% |
| 39 | Oman | 5,671,458 | 29.8 | 24.0% | 2.7% |
| 40 | Kuwait | 5,102,773 | 34.8 | 17.8% | 3.3% |
| 41 | Georgia | 3,804,642 | 37.6 | 20.2% | 16.4% |
| 42 | Mongolia | 3,556,798 | 27.0 | 30.9% | 5.7% |
| 43 | Qatar | 3,173,559 | 33.4 | 15.0% | 1.7% |
| 44 | Armenia | 2,930,915 | 37.2 | 18.7% | 15.2% |
| 45 | Bahrain | 1,675,572 | 33.4 | 18.2% | 4.2% |
| 46 | Timor-Leste | 1,436,923 | 22.1 | 32.6% | 5.2% |
| 47 | Cyprus | 1,382,334 | 39.1 | 16.0% | 15.3% |
| 48 | Bhutan | 802,214 | 31.0 | 19.8% | 6.8% |
| 49 | Macao | 723,188 | 40.3 | 13.4% | 15.9% |
| 50 | Maldives | 531,517 | 33.4 | 18.4% | 5.3% |
| 51 | Brunei | 469,775 | 33.2 | 20.4% | 7.6% |
Source and interpretation
Regional age groups and totals come directly from the UN WPP 2024 medium series. Country groupings follow the UN M49 regions and subregions used in the source; territories and statistical areas may appear separately. Projection results depend on future fertility, mortality, and migration assumptions.
Questions about Asia
What is the population of Asia in 2026?
The UN WPP 2024 medium scenario projects Asia's 2026 population at 4,863,327,398.
Which is the most populous country or area in Asia?
India is the largest profile in this regional directory, with a projected 2026 population of 1,476,625,576.
Is Asia's population projected to grow by 2050?
The medium scenario shows a 8.6% increase between 2026 and 2050.