Population in Vatican
Vatican: Population was 501 people in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
501 people
Change on year
down 2.3%
World rank
236th
of 236 countries
All-time high
931 people
in 1959
All-time low
501 people
in 2023
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Population in Vatican, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
The most recent figure for population in Vatican is 501 people, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.
The figure is down 2.3% on the previous year and down 16.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population in Vatican peaked at 931 people in 1959 and was at its lowest, 501 people, in 2023.
That places Vatican 236th out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.
Population in Vatican, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 889 people | — |
| 1951 | 895 people | +0.7% |
| 1952 | 901 people | +0.7% |
| 1953 | 907 people | +0.7% |
| 1954 | 914 people | +0.8% |
| 1955 | 921 people | +0.8% |
| 1956 | 926 people | +0.5% |
| 1957 | 928 people | +0.2% |
| 1958 | 930 people | +0.2% |
| 1959 | 931 people | +0.1% |
| 1960 | 929 people | -0.2% |
| 1961 | 926 people | -0.3% |
| 1962 | 928 people | +0.2% |
| 1963 | 929 people | +0.1% |
| 1964 | 931 people | +0.2% |
| 1965 | 901 people | -3.2% |
| 1966 | 854 people | -5.2% |
| 1967 | 816 people | -4.4% |
| 1968 | 785 people | -3.8% |
| 1969 | 769 people | -2.0% |
| 1970 | 758 people | -1.4% |
| 1971 | 750 people | -1.1% |
| 1972 | 746 people | -0.5% |
| 1973 | 745 people | -0.1% |
| 1974 | 743 people | -0.3% |
| 1975 | 742 people | -0.1% |
| 1976 | 746 people | +0.5% |
| 1977 | 749 people | +0.4% |
| 1978 | 752 people | +0.4% |
| 1979 | 755 people | +0.4% |
| 1980 | 754 people | -0.1% |
| 1981 | 753 people | -0.1% |
| 1982 | 750 people | -0.4% |
| 1983 | 747 people | -0.4% |
| 1984 | 744 people | -0.4% |
| 1985 | 741 people | -0.4% |
| 1986 | 740 people | -0.1% |
| 1987 | 740 people | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 737 people | -0.4% |
| 1989 | 737 people | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 736 people | -0.1% |
| 1991 | 737 people | +0.1% |
| 1992 | 736 people | -0.1% |
| 1993 | 729 people | -1.0% |
| 1994 | 720 people | -1.2% |
| 1995 | 714 people | -0.8% |
| 1996 | 709 people | -0.7% |
| 1997 | 706 people | -0.4% |
| 1998 | 707 people | +0.1% |
| 1999 | 706 people | -0.1% |
| 2000 | 701 people | -0.7% |
| 2001 | 691 people | -1.4% |
| 2002 | 684 people | -1.0% |
| 2003 | 674 people | -1.5% |
| 2004 | 667 people | -1.0% |
| 2005 | 667 people | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 664 people | -0.4% |
| 2007 | 657 people | -1.1% |
| 2008 | 648 people | -1.4% |
| 2009 | 637 people | -1.7% |
| 2010 | 629 people | -1.3% |
| 2011 | 624 people | -0.8% |
| 2012 | 612 people | -1.9% |
| 2013 | 598 people | -2.3% |
| 2014 | 587 people | -1.8% |
| 2015 | 579 people | -1.4% |
| 2016 | 571 people | -1.4% |
| 2017 | 563 people | -1.4% |
| 2018 | 552 people | -2.0% |
| 2019 | 543 people | -1.6% |
| 2020 | 536 people | -1.3% |
| 2021 | 527 people | -1.7% |
| 2022 | 513 people | -2.7% |
| 2023 | 501 people | -2.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 914.2 people | 889 people | 931 people | 10 |
| 1960s | 876.8 people | 769 people | 931 people | 10 |
| 1970s | 748.6 people | 742 people | 758 people | 10 |
| 1980s | 744.3 people | 737 people | 754 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 720 people | 706 people | 737 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 669 people | 637 people | 701 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 585.8 people | 543 people | 629 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 519.25 people | 501 people | 536 people | 4 |
Countries ranked near Vatican
More population data for Vatican
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population density 3,098 people per km² (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development 0.3% (2100)
- World population growth 0.3% (2100)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.2943 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.2943 % change on previous year (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 40 people (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -100 % change on previous year (1999)
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas, annual growth rate 1.01 % change on previous year (2025)
- Fertility rate vs. Share of people who are religious 1 live births per woman (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population in Vatican?
- Population in Vatican was 501 people in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest population recorded in Vatican?
- The highest recorded value was 931 people in 1959.
- What is the lowest population recorded in Vatican?
- The lowest recorded value was 501 people in 2023.
- How does Vatican rank for population?
- Vatican ranks 236th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is population rising or falling in Vatican?
- Over the last ten years it is down 16.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Vatican data come from?
- The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Population. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 74 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Total population, measured on 1 July of the year shown.