Already home to more than 7 billion people spread throughout 220 countries, the world is constantly increasing in its population. Here is a list of ten of the world’s most heavily populated countries and a few details about them.
10
Japan
In terms of population, Japan is the tenth largest country in the world with more than 127,340,000 people. Of this number, 98.5% are native Japanese, 0.5% are Chinese, and 1% are from other ethnic backgrounds.
9
Russia
The largest country in the world according to land area, Russia is the ninth most heavily populated country. It has more than 143,400,000 people spread throughout thirteen nations. Of this number, 81% are native Russian, with the rest of the population comprised of Tatars, Ukrainians, and various other ethnic minorities.
8
Bangladesh
The Asian country of Bangladesh is often mistakenly thought of as part of India, but it is actually a distinct country all its own. It has a population of more than 152,518,015 people, the majority of which speak Bangla, which is the country’s official language. Of this population, 98% are Bengali with the remaining 2% comprised of people of different ethnic backgrounds.
7
Nigeria
Located in West Africa, Nigeria is home to more than 170,901,000 people, most of who reside in the nation’s capital, Abuja. The majority of the country’s population speaks Hausa, which along with English are the two official languages.
6
Pakistan
Surprisingly, Pakistan is counted among the world’s most heavily populated countries. It has a population of more than 183,218,000, most of who reside in the country’s capital city, Islamabad and in the country’s largest city, Karachi. Most of the Pakistani population is comprised of Muslims, and Urdu and English are the two main languages spoken.
5
Brazil
The South American country of Brazil has a population of more than 193,946,338 people, with most living in and around the city’s of Brasilia, Sao Paulo (the largest city in the country) , and Rio de Janeiro. Most of the country’s residents speak Portuguese.
4
Indonesia
The South East Asian country of Indonesia has Jakarta as its capital city. It has a population of more than 237,641,326, nearly all of who speak Indonesian.
3
United States of America
With Washington D.C. as its capital, the United States has a population of more than 315,925,000 people. New York is its largest city, and this alone has a population of more than 19,000,000.
2
India
India is one of only two countries that have a population in excess of a billion people. Current estimates place the country’s population at over 1,210,569, 573. Considered the second largest country in the world in terms of population, India is expected to have more than 1.75 billion residents by 2050. In Mumbai (the largest city in the country) alone, the population is estimated at more than 20,000,000.
1
People’s Republic of China
At the number one spot for world’s most heavily populated country is China. Like India, China is only one of two countries that have a population in excess of 1 billion people. In Shanghai alone, the number of people is estimated at more than 23,000,000.