Countries Losing Population (2026)
43 countries are currently experiencing population decline. Kosovo has the steepest decline at -5.39% per year, losing approximately 85,936 people annually. Low birth rates, aging populations, and emigration are common factors driving population decline.
| Rank | Country | Growth Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Kosovo | -5.39% |
| 2 |  Saint Martin | -5.17% |
| 3 |  Marshall Islands | -3.35% |
| 4 |  Moldova | -2.28% |
| 5 |  Northern Mariana Islands | -1.93% |
| 6 |  Tuvalu | -1.75% |
| 7 |  American Samoa | -1.60% |
| 8 |  Albania | -1.54% |
| 9 |  Latvia | -0.94% |
| 10 |  Monaco | -0.84% |
| 11 |  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | -0.70% |
| 12 |  Bosnia and Herzegovina | -0.66% |
| 13 |  Serbia | -0.56% |
| 14 |  Sri Lanka | -0.55% |
| 15 |  United States Virgin Islands | -0.52% |
| 16 |  Belarus | -0.50% |
| 17 |  Dominica | -0.46% |
| 18 |  Japan | -0.44% |
| 19 |  Georgia | -0.43% |
| 20 |  Tonga | -0.40% |
| 21 |  Cuba | -0.36% |
| 22 |  Poland | -0.35% |
| 23 |  Hungary | -0.31% |
| 24 |  Mauritius | -0.23% |
| 25 |  Russia | -0.20% |
| 26 |  North Macedonia | -0.19% |
| 27 |  Palau | -0.18% |
| 28 |  Hong Kong | -0.16% |
| 29 |  Nepal | -0.15% |
| 30 |  China | -0.12% |
| 31 |  Bermuda | -0.10% |
| 32 |  Slovakia | -0.09% |
| 33 |  Bulgaria | -0.08% |
| 34 |  Thailand | -0.05% |
| 35 |  Italy | -0.05% |
| 36 |  Romania | -0.05% |
| 37 |  Greenland | -0.05% |
| 38 |  Uruguay | -0.04% |
| 39 |  Greece | -0.02% |
| 40 |  Puerto Rico | -0.02% |
| 41 |  Jamaica | -0.02% |
| 42 |  Taiwan | -0.01% |
| 43 |  Isle of Man | -0.01% |
Why Are Some Countries Losing Population?
43 countries are currently experiencing population decline, driven by a combination of low birth rates, aging populations, and in some cases significant emigration.
Europe accounts for the majority, with 18 European countries on this list. Eastern Europe has been particularly affected, facing both low fertility and substantial emigration of working-age adults to Western Europe since the expansion of the European Union. Kosovo has the steepest decline at -5.39% per year, losing approximately 85,936 people annually.
Economic Impact of Population Decline
A shrinking workforce means fewer people contributing to the economy and tax base, while an aging population increases demand for healthcare and pensions. Countries like Sri Lanka are already grappling with labor shortages in key industries.
Some countries have attempted to reverse decline through pro-natalist policies — financial incentives for having children, expanded parental leave, and subsidized childcare. Results have been mixed; while some policies modestly increase birth rates, no country has successfully reversed a sustained fertility decline through policy alone.
Can Immigration Offset Population Decline?
Immigration remains the most common mechanism for offsetting natural population decline. Many Western European countries have maintained stable or growing populations despite below-replacement fertility through sustained immigration.
The threshold between growing and declining populations is a growth rate of zero. Countries with growth rates between -0.5% and 0% are often described as having stagnating populations, while rates below -1% represent substantial decline that is difficult to reverse through any policy intervention.