Population growth in Least developed countries: UN classification
Least developed countries: UN classification: Population growth was 2.3% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Population growth in Least developed countries: UN classification, 1961–2025
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), note: Derived from total population, publisher: UN Population Division. Measured in annual %.
Analysis
Least developed countries: UN classification recorded 2.3% for population growth in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.2% on the previous year and down 1.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population growth in Least developed countries: UN classification peaked at 2.8% in 1993 and was at its lowest, 2.2%, in 1981.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 65 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2.5% | 2.4% | 2.6% | 9 |
| 1970s | 2.5% | 2.3% | 2.6% | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.5% | 2.2% | 2.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.6% | 2.5% | 2.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.4% | 2.3% | 2.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.4% | 2.3% | 2.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.3% | 2.3% | 2.4% | 6 |
More climate change data for Least developed countries: UN classification
- Population, total 1.21 billion (2025)
- Urban population growth 3.6% (2025)
- Urban population 444.81 million (2025)
- Urban population 36.6% (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 13.7% (2025)
- Annual freshwater withdrawals, total 198.48 billion cubic meters (2022)
- Annual freshwater withdrawals, total 4.4% (2022)
- Terrestrial protected areas 15.2% (2025)
- Terrestrial and marine protected areas 11.2% (2025)
- Marine protected areas 4.2% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population growth in Least developed countries: UN classification?
- Population growth in Least developed countries: UN classification was 2.3% 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 Least developed countries: UN classification?
- The highest recorded value was 2.8% in 1993.
- What is the lowest population growth recorded in Least developed countries: UN classification?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.2% in 1981.
- Is population growth rising or falling in Least developed countries: UN classification?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Least developed countries: UN classification 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
CSV · JSON — 65 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
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.