Fastest Growing Countries by Population (2026)
The fastest growing countries in the world are predominantly in Sub-Saharan Africa. Qatar leads with an annual growth rate of 7.32%, meaning its population doubles approximately every 10 years.
What Drives Rapid Population Growth?
Population growth rate measures the annual percentage change in a country's population, accounting for births, deaths, and net migration. Countries at the top of this ranking are adding people at rates that, if sustained, would see their populations double within 10 to 16 years.
High growth rates are driven by a combination of high fertility rates, improving but still relatively high mortality, and young population structures where a large share of the population is in or approaching their reproductive years. The global average growth rate is approximately 1.52%.
Which Regions Are Growing Fastest?
Sub-Saharan Africa dominates this list — 11 of the 20 fastest-growing countries are in Africa. Qatar leads at 7.32% annual growth, followed by Chad (4.95%) and United Arab Emirates (4.68%).
Growth rates have been declining globally for decades. Even many of the fastest-growing countries today have lower growth rates than they did 20 or 30 years ago, as access to family planning expands and urbanization increases. However, because these countries have large young populations, absolute population increases remain substantial even as percentage growth rates moderate.
Implications of Rapid Population Growth
Rapid population growth creates both opportunities and challenges. A growing young workforce can fuel economic development — what demographers call a "demographic dividend" — but only if countries can provide adequate education, healthcare, and employment. Without these investments, rapid growth can strain resources, infrastructure, and public services.
The growth rates shown are based on the most recent World Bank estimates and reflect a combination of natural increase (births minus deaths) and net migration.