Population growth (annual %) (World Population) in Small states
Small states: Population growth (annual %) (World Population) was 0.8% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Population growth in Small states, 1961–2025
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), note: Derived from total population, publisher: UN Population Division. Measured in annual %.
Analysis
In 2025, population growth in Small states stood at 0.8%.
The figure is down 5.9% on the previous year and down 26.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population growth in Small states peaked at 2.1% in 1963 and was at its lowest, 0.5%, in 1999.
Small states ranks 28th of 47 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 65 years of available data.
Population growth (annual %) (World Population) in Small states, year by year
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 1.8% | — |
| 1962 | 2.0% | +13.0% |
| 1963 | 2.1% | +0.4% |
| 1964 | 2.0% | -2.8% |
| 1965 | 1.9% | -4.3% |
| 1966 | 1.8% | -5.4% |
| 1967 | 1.7% | -6.5% |
| 1968 | 1.7% | -1.8% |
| 1969 | 1.7% | +1.1% |
| 1970 | 1.7% | -0.9% |
| 1971 | 1.7% | -0.1% |
| 1972 | 1.6% | -3.1% |
| 1973 | 1.5% | -6.1% |
| 1974 | 1.4% | -5.5% |
| 1975 | 1.5% | +2.2% |
| 1976 | 1.5% | +6.2% |
| 1977 | 1.6% | +3.8% |
| 1978 | 1.6% | -1.4% |
| 1979 | 1.6% | -0.1% |
| 1980 | 1.6% | +0.1% |
| 1981 | 1.6% | -2.1% |
| 1982 | 1.5% | -0.9% |
| 1983 | 1.5% | -2.6% |
| 1984 | 1.5% | -0.7% |
| 1985 | 1.6% | +6.2% |
| 1986 | 1.6% | +2.8% |
| 1987 | 1.6% | -2.2% |
| 1988 | 1.6% | -1.2% |
| 1989 | 1.6% | +2.3% |
| 1990 | 1.6% | +1.1% |
| 1991 | 1.6% | -1.8% |
| 1992 | 0.9% | -46.4% |
| 1993 | 0.7% | -19.0% |
| 1994 | 0.9% | +29.0% |
| 1995 | 0.8% | -12.0% |
| 1996 | 1.1% | +35.7% |
| 1997 | 1.2% | +14.5% |
| 1998 | 1.2% | +0.5% |
| 1999 | 0.5% | -61.7% |
| 2000 | 0.6% | +20.4% |
| 2001 | 1.5% | +157.9% |
| 2002 | 1.4% | -0.9% |
| 2003 | 1.2% | -18.9% |
| 2004 | 0.9% | -19.2% |
| 2005 | 0.6% | -35.0% |
| 2006 | 1.0% | +64.2% |
| 2007 | 1.1% | +4.6% |
| 2008 | 1.1% | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 1.0% | -6.7% |
| 2010 | 1.0% | +2.3% |
| 2011 | 1.0% | -2.8% |
| 2012 | 1.0% | +2.0% |
| 2013 | 1.0% | +0.4% |
| 2014 | 1.0% | +1.3% |
| 2015 | 1.0% | +2.0% |
| 2016 | 1.0% | -2.1% |
| 2017 | 1.0% | +2.1% |
| 2018 | 1.2% | +11.6% |
| 2019 | 1.1% | -5.9% |
| 2020 | 0.9% | -15.4% |
| 2021 | 0.9% | -3.2% |
| 2022 | 1.0% | +16.9% |
| 2023 | 0.9% | -13.9% |
| 2024 | 0.8% | -10.1% |
| 2025 | 0.8% | -5.9% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Population growth (annual %) (World Population) in Small states changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | +157.9% | 0.6% | 1.5% |
| 2006 | +64.2% | 0.6% | 1.0% |
| 1999 | -61.7% | 1.2% | 0.5% |
| 1992 | -46.4% | 1.6% | 0.9% |
| 1996 | +35.7% | 0.8% | 1.1% |
| 2005 | -35.0% | 0.9% | 0.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.8% | 1.7% | 2.1% | 9 |
| 1970s | 1.6% | 1.4% | 1.7% | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.6% | 1.5% | 1.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.0% | 0.5% | 1.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.0% | 0.6% | 1.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.0% | 1.0% | 1.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.9% | 0.8% | 1.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Small states
- 25 Burundi 2.4% compare
- 26 Cote d'Ivoire 2.4% compare
- 27 Benin 2.4% compare
- 28 Madagascar 2.4% compare
- 29 Equatorial Guinea 2.4% compare
- 30 Sudan 2.4% compare
- 31 Congo 2.4% compare
More climate change data for Small states
- Population, total, annual growth rate 0.7611 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population, total, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Urban population, annual growth rate 1.11 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population, total 20.35 million (2025)
- Urban population growth 1.1% (2025)
- Urban population 10.60 million (2025)
- Urban population, per capita 0.521 units per person (2025)
- Urban population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population, total, per square kilometre 26.64 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Urban population, per square kilometre 13.79 units per square kilometre (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population growth in Small states?
- Population growth in Small states was 0.8% in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), note: Derived from total population, publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest population growth recorded in Small states?
- The highest recorded value was 2.1% in 1963.
- What is the lowest population growth recorded in Small states?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.5% in 1999.
- How does Small states rank for population growth?
- Small states ranks 28th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is population growth rising or falling in Small states?
- Over the last ten years it is down 26.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Small states data come from?
- The figures come from World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), note: Derived from total population, publisher: UN Population Division, published as part of Population growth (annual %). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Annual population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.