The world's largest country by population has been in the news lately. India immediately overtook China to become the most populous country. Russia, the ninth largest country in the world with a population of about 145 million, is attacking Ukraine, the 35th largest country with 43 million inhabitants.
So, what about the smallest country in the world? Many of the smallest countries have populations in small cities or even towns. The smallest country is the Holy See with a population of less than 1,000.
According to the United Nations Population Division, 14 of the world's 235 countries with population days have populations of more than 100 million, as published by the World Bureau of Statistics. 29 countries have a population of more than 50 million, and 91 countries have a population of more than 10 million. 24/7 Wall Street consulted Worldometers' list and found the 25 least populous countries in the world. However, not all of the countries mentioned here are independent sovereign states. Among them, it includes the overseas territories of many countries. These territories usually have a relatively autonomous status. Among the sovereign states, the smallest member of the United Nations is Nauru, with just over 10,000.
The smallest country in the world is the Holy See, home to the Vatican. It has a population of 821 people. It is also home to the Pope, who presides over the 1.34 billion members of the Catholic Church worldwide. The country was founded in 1929. Also known as Vatican City, it covers an area of about 1 square mile and is ranked 257th in the world. It is completely surrounded by Italy.
The CIA's World Fact Sheet describes Vatican City's government as "a church-elected monarchy; self-proclaimed 'absolute monarchy'". Most of its economy is supported by the Catholic Church, although it earns a small amount from the sale of coins and medals. It also has its own banking system and contributes a small amount to the economy.
Italy defends the Holy See, which also has its own small police force, the prestigious Swiss Guard. Interestingly, its workforce of 4,822 is larger than the entire population of the country.
Now, let's see which country in the world has the fewest inhabitants.
25. Northern Mariana Islands
Population 56,882 in 2020
Land area: 179.2 square miles
・ Sovereignty: United States
24. Greenland
Population in 2020 was 567,701
・ Land area: 836.3 square miles
・ Sovereignty: Kingdom of Denmark
・ A more populous American city: Hoboken, New Jersey
23. Saint Kitts and Nevis
・ Population 53,332 in 2020
・ Land area: 100.8 square miles
・ Sovereign attribution: Sovereign states
22. Faroe Islands
・ Population in 2020: 48,863
Land area: 537.8 square miles
・ Sovereignty: Kingdom of Denmark
21. Sint Maarten
・ Population 43,045 in 2020
・ Land area: 5.0 square miles
・ Sovereignty: Kingdom of the Netherlands
20. Monaco
Population 39,340 in 2020
・ Land area: 0.8 square miles
・ Sovereign attribution: Sovereign states
19. Turks and Caicos Islands
・ Population 38,901 in 2020
・ Land area: 336.0 square miles
Sovereignty: United Kingdom
18. Liechtenstein
Population in 2020 was 38,167
・ Land area: 61.9 square miles
・ Sovereign attribution: Sovereign states
17. San Marino
Population 33,785 in 2020
Land area: 23.6 square miles
・ Sovereign attribution: Sovereign states
16. Gibraltar
・ The population was 33,687 in 2020
Land area: 2.3 square miles
Sovereignty: United Kingdom
15. British Virgin Islands
Population 30,303 in 2020
Land area: 58.3 square miles
Sovereignty: United Kingdom
14. Caribbean Netherlands
Population 26,310 in 2020
・ Land area: 126.7 square miles
・ Sovereignty: Kingdom of the Netherlands
13. Palau
Population 18,122 in 2020
・ Land area: 177.2 square miles
・ Sovereign attribution: Sovereign states
12. Cook Islands
Population 18,000 in 2020
Land area: 91.1 square miles
・ Sovereignty: New Zealand
11. Anguilla
Population 15,050 in 2020
Land area: 35.1 square miles
Sovereignty: United Kingdom
10. Tuvalu
・ Population 12,000 in 2020
Land area: 10.0 square miles
・ Sovereign attribution: Sovereign states
9. Wallis and Futuna
・ The population was 11,773 in 2020
Land area: 77.2 square miles
・ Sovereignty: France
8. Nauru
・ Population 10,824 in 2020
Land area: 8.1 square miles
・ Sovereign attribution: Sovereign states
7. St. Helena
・ Population 6,000 in 2020
Land area: 118.9 square miles
Sovereignty: United Kingdom
6. Saint Pierre and Miquelon
・ Population 6,000 in 2020
・ Land area: 94.4 square miles
・ Sovereignty: France
5. Montserrat
・ Population 5,373 in 2020
・ Land area: 39.4 square miles
Sovereignty: United Kingdom
4. Falkland Islands (Malvinas)
Population 3,000 in 2020
・ Land area: 4700.0 square miles
・ Ownership: United Kingdom (sovereignty dispute with Argentina, now largely settled)
3. Niue
Population in 2020 1,630
Land area: 100.4 square miles
・ Sovereignty: New Zealand
2. Tokelau
Population in 2020 1,600
・ Land area: 4.6 square miles
・ Sovereignty: New Zealand
1. Holy See (Vatican City)
・ Population 1,000 in 2020
・ Land area: 0.2 square miles
・ Sovereign: A sovereign state
See 24/7 Wall Street.com, March 20, 2022, Douglas-A. McIntyre