Ranked: Least populated countries in the world (2024 Report)

As of 2023, the global population has experienced a significant surge, reaching 8.02 billion from 7.95 billion in 2022. While much attention has historically been directed towards the world’s most populous countries, it is now crucial to shift the focus towards understanding and recognizing the least populated nations across the globe.

In 2024, Tuvalu’s population will be 11,400, with a growth rate of 0.72%. Tuvalu is a charmingly small island nation consisting of atolls and reef islands. Life expectancy is 60 at birth, and family planning has slowed population growth. More than 10% of the population lives abroad for education, works in the Nauru phosphate industry, or ships. Nauru, a tiny island country in Micronesia, northeast of Australia, is a humble place with a population density of 554 people per square kilometer and an overall life expectancy of 63.9 years. Nauru’s demographic history is marked by migrations, and the government has repatriated groups of non-Nauruans, most recently in the 2000s.

Palau: As of 2024, Palau’s population is 18,060, with a growth rate of -0.04%. The population has declined since 2005 due to a low fertility rate and emigration, but there’s also significant immigration into Palau. San Marino: The population of this picturesque microstate surrounded by north-central Italy is 33,640 in 2024, with a growth rate of -0.08%. Despite being urban, almost two-thirds of San Marino’s population resides in its three main cities.

Least populated countries in the world