Countries with the Fastest Population Growth and Decline in the World, Is Indonesia Included?
Over the past 25 years, several countries have experienced population increases of more than three times. However, there are also countries that have undergone sharp population declines, which have transformed their economies and societies.
The Persian Gulf region dominates the growth rankings, but not due to high birth rates, rather a wave of immigrants from other countries.
Qatar leads the world with a staggering population increase of 423%, growing from around 594,000 to 3.1 million. The UAE follows with 250%, while Bahrain grew 154%, Kuwait 139%, and Oman 129%.
This surge is almost entirely driven by the migration of labour from other countries. Large-scale construction projects, primarily energy infrastructure such as oil and gas expansion, and broader economic diversification efforts have attracted millions of foreign workers to the region over the past two decades.
Outside the Gulf region, the fastest-growing populations are concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa, such as Equatorial Guinea with 167%, Niger 157%, and Papua New Guinea 150%.
Other countries include Angola 140%, Chad 127%, Democratic Republic of Congo 122%, Burundi 124%, Uganda 120%, and Zambia 120%. All have experienced population increases of more than double. High fertility rates and gradual improvements in healthcare services have supported rapid growth across the region.
Eastern Europe’s Population Collapse
In contrast, much of Eastern Europe has experienced sustained population declines. First, Bulgaria, where the population has decreased by 23%, Latvia down 22%, Moldova down 19%, and Lithuania down 18%. All four countries have lost about a fifth or more of their populations since 2000.
However, Ukraine has the largest decline, with its population dropping 33%, losing around 16 million people, from 48.7 million in 2000 to about 32.9 million in 2025. Along with long-term economic factors, the war with Russia has accelerated Ukraine’s population decline.
After EU accession opened borders to Western European economies with higher wages, working-age emigration surged. This has worsened the already low birth rates across the region, creating demographic pressures that have led many of these countries to have ageing and shrinking populations.
Even larger countries like Poland have seen their populations decrease by 5%, and of course Japan, which is currently experiencing population ageing due to minimal youth regeneration. Japan’s native population has declined by 3%, and now the country is starting to see many immigrants.