This is a list of
countries ordered according to
population. The list includes and ranks
sovereign states and self-governing
dependent territories. Figures are based on the most recent estimate or projection by the national
census authority where available and generally rounded off. Other figures are based on the
July 1,
2007 estimate by the
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs – Population Division.
[1] Because these figures are not collected at the same time in every country, or at the same level of
accuracy, the resulting rankings may be misleading.
Note that the 
European Union is a sui generis supranational union possessing some "country-like" characteristics. The entity is composed of 27 member states. Its combined population has been estimated at 497,198,740 on January 1, 2008,[2] and it would be ranked 3rd if it were included in the list (7.45% of world population). See also List of regional organizations by population.
UN estimate
UN estimate
