10 Least Populated Countries in the World

There are 8 billion people in the world. While some countries are populous, the smaller territories and islands have significantly smaller numbers.

It is established that the least populated countries are small in size, which limits the space for settlement by people.

These are Africa’s 10 least populated countries in the world as per recent statistics;

1. Vatican City

1. 1. The Vatican is the least populated country in the world with a population of just below 1000, consisting of priests and nuns from all over the world.
   2. Vatican City is a landlocked sovereign city-state located within the city of Rome in Italy.
   3. It is also the world’s smallest independent ‘country’ with an area of 0.44 km² (0.17 sq mi).

Also read: Top 10 Most Populous African Countries

2. Niue

1. 1. Niue is a small island nation in the South Pacific Ocean.
   2. It has a population of just over 1,600 people.
   3. Its major attractions are limestone cliffs and coral-reef dive sites and whale migration.

3. Tuvalu

1. 1. Tuvalu, in the South Pacific, is an independent island nation within the British Commonwealth.
   2. It comprises 9 islands and has a population of 11,925.
   3.  Rising seawater, however, threatens the habitability of the island over the next decades.

4. Nauru

1. 1. Nauru is a tiny island country in Micronesia, northeast of Australia.
   2. Nauru has a population of 12,511.
   3. The island features a coral reef and white-sand beaches fringed with palms.

5. Cook Islands

1. 1. The Cook Islands is a nation in the South Pacific, with political links to New Zealand.
   2. Its 17,607 population settles on 5 islands scattered over a vast area.
   3. Its largest island, Rarotonga, is home to rugged mountains and Avarua, the national capital.

6. Palau

1. 1. Palau, officially the Republic of Palau and historically Belau, Palaos, or Pelew, is an island country in the western Pacific.
   2. Palau has a population of 22,927 people.
   3. The larger Babeldaob island has the present capital, Ngerulmud, as well as mountains and sandy beaches on its east coast.
   4. Palau became a nation in 1994 after years of occupation by Japan and the United States of America.

7. San Marino

1. 1. Located on the northeastern side of the Apennine Mountains, San Marino covers a land area of just over 61 square kilometers.
   2. It has a population of 34,037 and is a rich country in GDP per capita.

8. Liechtenstein

1. 1. Liechtenstein is a landlocked woodland country in the center of the European continent.
   2. It has a population of 39,135 and has the second-highest GDP-per-capita rating in the world.
   3. This makes it one of the economically richest places in the world.

9. Monaco

1. 1. With an area of 2.1 km² (0.81 sq mi), Monaco is the second-smallest sovereign state in the world after Vatican City.
   2. Monaco has 39,684 people.
   3. It is also among the richest areas in the world and best known for its Grand Prix and yacht show annual events, which see it flocked by the world’s richest people.

Also read: 10 Least Populated Countries in Africa

10. Marshall islands

1. 1. The Marshall Islands is a chain of volcanic islands and coral atolls in the central Pacific Ocean.
   2. It has a population of 53,327 people.
   3. Its capital, Majuro, hosts over half of the country’s total population.