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The World's Largest Countries by Area and Population

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Largest Countries by Land Area

Russia is by far the largest country in the world by land area, spanning 11 time zones, followed by Canada, the United States, China, and Brazil rounding out the top five.

Largest Countries by Population

India and China are by far the two most populous countries in the world, together accounting for roughly a third of the entire global population, followed by the United States, Indonesia, and Pakistan.

Why Area and Population Rankings Differ

A country's land area and its population size are only loosely related β€” factors like climate, terrain, historical settlement patterns, and economic development play a much larger role in determining population than sheer size.

Population Density as a Different Measure

Looking at population density (people per square kilometer) instead of raw population gives yet another ranking, highlighting small but densely populated places like Monaco or Singapore rather than large countries.

The Smallest Countries

At the opposite extreme, Vatican City is the smallest country in the world by area, while various small island nations rank among the smallest by population.

Size and population don't always align the way people expect

It can be surprising that some of the largest countries by land area, like Russia and Canada, have relatively modest populations compared to much smaller countries like India or Bangladesh β€” this comes down to a combination of livable climate, arable land, and historical patterns of settlement.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Russia's land area really bigger than the next several countries combined?

Russia is significantly larger than the next-largest country, Canada, but it is not larger than the next several countries combined β€” it is, however, nearly twice the size of Canada.

Which countries are projected to have the largest populations in the future?

Population projections suggest India, currently the most populous country, is expected to remain in the top position for the foreseeable future, with several African nations projected to see significant population growth in coming decades.