Countries Ranked by Population growth rate (2025)
Population growth rate: each country's latest value (2020–2025), ranked from highest to lowest. Source: The World Bank (CC BY 4.0).
Summary
United Arab Emirates ranks #1 with 4.68% per year. Saudi Arabia is second with 4.63% per year, 1.1% behind. The top five are United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar and Syrian Arab Republic. The median across all 217 is 0.887% per year; St. Martin (French part) is last at -4.65% per year. United Arab Emirates's figure has fallen 27% since 2001 (6.38% per year to 4.68% per year in 2025).
- #1
- United Arab Emirates · 4.68% per year
- Median
- 0.887% per year
- Coverage
- 217 countries
- Data year
- 2025
- Last updated
- 2026-11-14
Full ranking
Showing the top 100 of 217. Premium downloads the full list as CSV or JSON.
About the top 10
#1 United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates ranks #1 on this list with 4.68% per year.
- Capital
- Abu Dhabi
- Continent
- Asia
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 11.51 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$552.32 billion (2024)
- GDP per person
- US$50,274 (2024)
- Life expectancy
- 83.1 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 86% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah.
Also ranks #1 in internet users share · #2 in male population share · #2 in population ages 15-64 share.
#2 Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia ranks #2 on this list with 4.63% per year.
- Capital
- Riyadh
- Continent
- Asia
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 36.97 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$1.28 trillion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$34,537 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 79 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 84.6% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Riyadh, Jeddah, Medina.
Also ranks #2 in crop production index · #2 in pm2.5 air pollution exposure · #4 in internet users share.
#3 Oman
Oman ranks #3 on this list with 3.96% per year.
- Capital
- Muscat
- Continent
- Asia
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 5.49 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$109.6 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$19,947 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 80.2 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 79.5% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Muscat.
Also ranks #1 in cereal yield · #1 in crop production index · #3 in male population share.
#4 Qatar
Qatar ranks #4 on this list with 3.92% per year.
- Capital
- Doha
- Continent
- Asia
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 2.97 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$215.56 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$72,525 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 82.5 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 99.4% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Doha.
Also ranks #1 in male population share · #1 in population ages 15-64 share · #1 in labour force participation rate.
#5 Syrian Arab Republic
Syrian Arab Republic ranks #5 on this list with 3.77% per year.
- Capital
- Damascus
- Continent
- Asia
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 25.62 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$23.74 billion (2022)
- GDP per person
- US$1,057 (2022)
- Life expectancy
- 72.6 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 72.1% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Damascus, Aleppo.
Also ranks #2 in refugee population by origin · #2 in agriculture value added share of gdp · #3 in net migration.
#6 Chad
Chad ranks #6 on this list with 3.41% per year.
- Capital
- N'Djamena
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 21 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$21.47 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$1,022 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 55.2 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 27.6% of population (2025)
Largest cities: N'Djamena.
Also ranks #1 in fertility rate · #2 in birth rate · #2 in maternal mortality ratio.
#7 Central African Republic
Central African Republic ranks #7 on this list with 3.37% per year.
- Capital
- Bangui
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 5.51 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$3.07 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$556.1 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 57.7 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 44.6% of population (2025)
Also ranks #1 in population ages 0-14 share · #1 in age dependency ratio · #1 in age dependency ratio (young).
#8 Somalia, Fed. Rep.
Somalia, Fed. Rep. ranks #8 on this list with 3.34% per year.
- Capital
- Mogadishu
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 19.66 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$13 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$661.2 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 59 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 55.1% of population (2025)
Largest cities: North East State of Somalia, Mogadishu.
Also ranks #1 in prevalence of undernourishment · #2 in population ages 0-14 share · #2 in age dependency ratio (young).
#9 Niger
Niger ranks #9 on this list with 3.22% per year.
- Capital
- Niamey
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 27.92 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$21.65 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$775.4 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 61.4 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 18.4% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Niamey.
Also ranks #1 in agriculture value added share of gdp · #2 in under-5 mortality rate · #3 in population ages 0-14 share.
#10 Congo, Dem. Rep.
Congo, Dem. Rep. ranks #10 on this list with 3.2% per year.
- Capital
- Kinshasa
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 112.83 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$91.03 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$806.8 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 62.1 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 45.1% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Kinshasa, Mbuji-Mayi, Kananga.
Also ranks #1 in renewable energy share · #1 in poverty headcount ratio · #1 in mineral rents share of gdp.
Profile facts: World Bank (CC BY 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0); weather links go to Purr Weather, another ChowChow Labs site.
Source and method
Population growth rate: each country's latest value (2020–2025), ranked from highest to lowest.
Source: The World Bank, indicator SP.POP.GROW. Licence: CC BY 4.0. Retrieved: 2026-11-14.
The World Bank: Population growth (annual %): World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), note: Derived from total population, publisher: UN Population Division (via World Development Indicators)
Original data provider, as recorded by the World Bank: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), note: Derived from total population, publisher: UN Population Division; Statistical databases and publications from national statistical offices, National Statistical Offices (NSOs), note: Derived from total population; Demographic Statistics, Eurostat (ESTAT), note: Derived from total population.
Values are shown as published. Provider terms: The World Bank. All licences: Sources & licences.