Population in Cook Islands
Cook Islands: Population was 14,244 people in 2023. ▲ Rising
Population in Cook Islands, 1700–2023
Source: HYDE (2023); Gapminder (2022); UN WPP (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
The most recent figure for population in Cook Islands is 14,244 people, measured in 2023.
That represents a change of down 3.4% on the previous year and down 19.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population in Cook Islands peaked at 20,889 people in 1971 and was at its lowest, 8,200 people, in 1902.
That places Cook Islands 226th out of 238 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 87 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1700s | 14,670 people | 14,670 people | 14,670 people | 1 |
| 1800s | 16,140 people | 16,140 people | 16,140 people | 1 |
| 1840s | 17,000 people | 17,000 people | 17,000 people | 1 |
| 1850s | 16,000 people | 16,000 people | 16,000 people | 1 |
| 1900s | 8,567 people | 8,200 people | 9,000 people | 3 |
| 1910s | 8,750 people | 8,700 people | 8,800 people | 2 |
| 1920s | 9,750 people | 9,500 people | 10,000 people | 2 |
| 1930s | 12,000 people | 12,000 people | 12,000 people | 1 |
| 1940s | 14,000 people | 14,000 people | 14,000 people | 1 |
| 1950s | 16,035 people | 14,714 people | 17,315 people | 10 |
| 1960s | 18,811 people | 17,685 people | 20,100 people | 10 |
| 1970s | 19,278 people | 17,799 people | 20,889 people | 10 |
| 1980s | 17,104 people | 16,601 people | 17,719 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 17,423 people | 16,508 people | 17,880 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 15,469 people | 14,994 people | 16,497 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 17,203 people | 16,151 people | 17,690 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 14,965 people | 14,244 people | 15,664 people | 4 |
Countries ranked near Cook Islands
- 223 Saint Martin (French part) 27,545 people compare
- 224 Palau 17,751 people compare
- 225 Anguilla 14,435 people compare
- 227 Nauru 11,900 people compare
- 228 Wallis and Futuna 11,394 people compare
- 229 Saint Barthelemy 11,112 people compare
More population data for Cook Islands
- Population growth rate, by level of development -0.4% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 335 people (2100)
- Population density 33.01 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth -0.4% (2100)
- Natural population growth rate 0.3% (2023)
- Fertility rate: births per woman 2.04 live births per woman (2023)
- Fertility rate vs. GDP per capita 2.04 live births per woman (2023)
- Children per woman vs. Natural population growth 0.3% (2023)
- Natural population growth rate vs. median age 0.3% (2023)
- Comparison of fertility rates that account for survival of children 2.04 live births per woman (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population in Cook Islands?
- Population in Cook Islands was 14,244 people in 2023, according to HYDE (2023); Gapminder (2022); UN WPP (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest population recorded in Cook Islands?
- The highest recorded value was 20,889 people in 1971.
- What is the lowest population recorded in Cook Islands?
- The lowest recorded value was 8,200 people in 1902.
- How does Cook Islands rank for population?
- Cook Islands ranks 226th out of 238 countries with data for 2023.
- Is population rising or falling in Cook Islands?
- Over the last ten years it is down 19.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Cook Islands data come from?
- The figures come from HYDE (2023); Gapminder (2022); UN WPP (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Population. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 87 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Population by country, available from 10,000 BCE to 2023, based on data and estimates from different sources.