This article lists the top 10 countries in terms of population. In addition, you will learn about the features of the demographic policy of the most populated states of the world - India and China.
TOP 10 countries by population
The number of inhabitants of our planet has already exceeded seven billion. One of the main features of the earth's population is a significant unevenness in its concentration. So, in one state there can be tens (and even hundreds!) Times more inhabitants than in the neighboring one.
The first 10 countries in terms of population are listed below (they are indicated on the map by colored fill). In the table, in addition to the total number of inhabitants in these states, density indicators are also presented.
TOP 10 countries by population |
State | Population (in million) | Density (person / sq. Km) |
China | 1,382 | 144 |
India | 1 301 | 364 |
USA | 325 | 32 |
Indonesia | 261 | 131 |
Brazil | 206 | 22 |
Pakistan | 196 | 225 |
Nigeria | 187 | 189 |
Bangladesh | 161 | 1155 |
Russia | 147 | 8.6 |
Japan | 127 | 336 |
The table shows the demographic data as of 2016. The total population of the 10 largest countries is 4.3 billion people (almost 60% of the total population of the Earth).
Interestingly, such an arrangement of “demographic leaders” will be irrelevant in a few decades. So, by 2030, India will overtake China in terms of population. Even greater changes are expected by the beginning of the next century. In 2100, judging by analysts' forecasts, Nigeria will be in the third position of this rating, but Russia will no longer be in the top ten countries.
India and China - leaders of the "demographic race"
The Chinese demographic policy differs significantly from the similar Indian policy , which affects the dynamics of the population of these states.
In China, measures to stabilize population growth began in the early 80s. The measures taken were tough and well thought out. So, the government insistently recommends to have no more than one child for every Chinese family . For this, parents receive a number of preferences: subsidies, increased pensions and a simplified algorithm for obtaining housing. If the family has more than two children, then additional taxes are deducted from the parents' salaries in favor of the state treasury.
Demographic policy in India also aims to reduce population. However, in this country it does not bring the desired results and, by and large, comes down only to declarative slogans. A family of five in India is still considered quite ordinary and familiar.
In the near future, India should overtake China in terms of population. Experts predict that this event will occur in the first half of the 2020s.