🇨🇰 Cook Islands Population 2026
As of 2026, the population of Cook Islands is 12,826, ranking #226 in the world (0.00% of the global population), based on UN World Population Prospects 2024. The population is shrinking at -3.26% per year. The biggest city is Avarua with 13,373 inhabitants.
Live estimate
12,819
Growth rate
-3.26%
Density
53
people / km² (138 / mi²)
Median age
38.1
Fertility rate
1.97
births per woman
Life expectancy
75.8
years
Cook Islands population 1950–2100
By 2050, the population of Cook Islands is projected to reach 9,337, and 7,904 by 2100.
Cook Islands population by year
| Year | Population | Growth | Density /km² | Median age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 12,826 | -3.26% | 53.4 | 38.1 |
| 2025 | 13,263 | -3.44% | 55.3 | 37.1 |
| 2024 | 13,729 | -3.47% | 57.2 | 36.1 |
| 2023 | 14,222 | -3.59% | 59.3 | 35.1 |
| 2022 | 14,723 | -3.35% | 61.3 | 34.1 |
| 2021 | 15,182 | -2.80% | 63.3 | 33.3 |
| 2020 | 15,643 | -3.18% | 65.2 | 32.7 |
| 2019 | 16,129 | -2.94% | 67.2 | 32.5 |
| 2018 | 16,596 | -2.78% | 69.2 | 32.1 |
| 2017 | 17,047 | -2.58% | 71.0 | 31.8 |
| 2016 | 17,332 | -0.76% | 72.2 | 31.5 |
| 2015 | 17,446 | -0.55% | 72.7 | 31.1 |
| 2014 | 17,532 | -0.44% | 73.1 | 30.7 |
| 2013 | 17,605 | -0.39% | 73.4 | 30.3 |
| 2012 | 17,661 | -0.25% | 73.6 | 29.9 |
| 2011 | 17,455 | 2.61% | 72.7 | 29.4 |
| 2010 | 16,976 | 2.96% | 70.7 | 28.7 |
| 2009 | 16,475 | 3.04% | 68.6 | 28.0 |
| 2008 | 15,981 | 3.05% | 66.6 | 27.3 |
| 2007 | 15,495 | 3.12% | 64.6 | 26.7 |
| 2006 | 15,206 | 0.62% | 63.4 | 26.1 |
| 2005 | 15,132 | 0.36% | 63.0 | 25.7 |
| 2004 | 15,078 | 0.35% | 62.8 | 25.3 |
| 2003 | 15,027 | 0.32% | 62.6 | 24.8 |
| 2002 | 14,967 | 0.47% | 62.4 | 24.4 |
| 2001 | 15,235 | -3.98% | 63.5 | 24.0 |
| 2000 | 15,854 | -3.99% | 66.1 | 23.5 |
| 1999 | 16,483 | -3.79% | 68.7 | 23.1 |
| 1998 | 17,079 | -3.31% | 71.2 | 22.5 |
| 1997 | 17,622 | -2.95% | 73.4 | 22.1 |
| 1996 | 17,855 | 0.30% | 74.4 | 21.7 |
| 1995 | 17,781 | 0.54% | 74.1 | 21.5 |
| 1994 | 17,689 | 0.50% | 73.7 | 21.1 |
| 1993 | 17,592 | 0.61% | 73.3 | 20.8 |
| 1992 | 17,471 | 0.77% | 72.8 | 20.4 |
| 1991 | 17,310 | 1.08% | 72.1 | 20.1 |
| 1990 | 17,120 | 1.12% | 71.3 | 19.8 |
| 1989 | 16,932 | 1.09% | 70.5 | 19.4 |
| 1988 | 16,753 | 1.03% | 69.8 | 18.9 |
| 1987 | 16,578 | 1.07% | 69.1 | 18.5 |
| 1986 | 16,602 | -1.35% | 69.2 | 18.1 |
| 1985 | 16,832 | -1.40% | 70.1 | 17.8 |
| 1984 | 17,062 | -1.32% | 71.1 | 17.5 |
| 1983 | 17,279 | -1.21% | 72.0 | 17.1 |
| 1982 | 17,471 | -1.00% | 72.8 | 16.7 |
| 1981 | 17,605 | -0.53% | 73.4 | 16.2 |
| 1980 | 17,696 | -0.51% | 73.7 | 15.8 |
| 1979 | 17,778 | -0.41% | 74.1 | 15.4 |
| 1978 | 17,849 | -0.40% | 74.4 | 14.9 |
| 1977 | 17,910 | -0.28% | 74.6 | 14.4 |
| 1976 | 18,248 | -3.42% | 76.0 | 14.1 |
| 1975 | 18,896 | -3.56% | 78.7 | 14.0 |
| 1974 | 19,558 | -3.32% | 81.5 | 13.9 |
| 1973 | 20,188 | -3.02% | 84.1 | 13.7 |
| 1972 | 20,770 | -2.66% | 86.5 | 13.5 |
| 1971 | 20,869 | 1.70% | 87.0 | 13.4 |
| 1970 | 20,488 | 1.99% | 85.4 | 13.3 |
| 1969 | 20,081 | 2.03% | 83.7 | 13.3 |
| 1968 | 19,693 | 1.88% | 82.1 | 13.3 |
| 1967 | 19,326 | 1.88% | 80.5 | 13.3 |
| 1966 | 19,015 | 1.37% | 79.2 | 13.3 |
| 1965 | 18,779 | 1.12% | 78.2 | 13.6 |
| 1964 | 18,586 | 0.95% | 77.4 | 13.9 |
| 1963 | 18,422 | 0.81% | 76.8 | 14.2 |
| 1962 | 18,284 | 0.70% | 76.2 | 14.5 |
| 1961 | 18,038 | 2.01% | 75.2 | 14.8 |
| 1960 | 17,662 | 2.21% | 73.6 | 15.1 |
| 1959 | 17,292 | 2.01% | 72.1 | 15.5 |
| 1958 | 16,968 | 1.78% | 70.7 | 15.7 |
| 1957 | 16,687 | 1.56% | 69.5 | 15.8 |
| 1956 | 16,433 | 1.50% | 68.5 | 15.8 |
| 1955 | 16,168 | 1.76% | 67.4 | 15.7 |
| 1954 | 15,887 | 1.73% | 66.2 | 15.7 |
| 1953 | 15,608 | 1.82% | 65.0 | 15.6 |
| 1952 | 15,339 | 1.65% | 63.9 | 15.6 |
| 1951 | 15,054 | 2.11% | 62.7 | 15.6 |
| 1950 | 14,693 | 2.76% | 61.2 | 15.7 |
| Year | Population | Growth | Density /km² | Median age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | 12,434 | -2.94% | 51.8 | 39.1 |
| 2028 | 12,087 | -2.71% | 50.4 | 40.0 |
| 2029 | 11,773 | -2.55% | 49.1 | 40.8 |
| 2030 | 11,496 | -2.22% | 47.9 | 41.5 |
| 2031 | 11,261 | -1.91% | 46.9 | 42.2 |
| 2032 | 11,056 | -1.76% | 46.1 | 42.7 |
| 2033 | 10,870 | -1.63% | 45.3 | 43.2 |
| 2034 | 10,701 | -1.50% | 44.6 | 43.5 |
| 2035 | 10,537 | -1.58% | 43.9 | 43.8 |
| 2036 | 10,386 | -1.32% | 43.3 | 44.0 |
| 2037 | 10,261 | -1.10% | 42.8 | 44.0 |
| 2038 | 10,142 | -1.21% | 42.3 | 43.7 |
| 2039 | 10,040 | -0.81% | 41.8 | 42.8 |
| 2040 | 9,947 | -1.08% | 41.4 | 38.7 |
| 2041 | 9,859 | -0.69% | 41.1 | 36.9 |
| 2042 | 9,799 | -0.54% | 40.8 | 36.4 |
| 2043 | 9,743 | -0.58% | 40.6 | 36.2 |
| 2044 | 9,685 | -0.61% | 40.4 | 36.4 |
| 2045 | 9,626 | -0.63% | 40.1 | 36.5 |
| 2046 | 9,569 | -0.53% | 39.9 | 36.8 |
| 2047 | 9,511 | -0.69% | 39.6 | 37.1 |
| 2048 | 9,454 | -0.51% | 39.4 | 37.5 |
| 2049 | 9,399 | -0.67% | 39.2 | 37.9 |
| 2050 | 9,337 | -0.64% | 38.9 | 38.3 |
| 2051 | 9,276 | -0.67% | 38.6 | 38.6 |
| 2052 | 9,210 | -0.75% | 38.4 | 39.0 |
| 2053 | 9,139 | -0.81% | 38.1 | 39.5 |
| 2054 | 9,067 | -0.77% | 37.8 | 39.9 |
| 2055 | 8,994 | -0.84% | 37.5 | 40.3 |
| 2056 | 8,921 | -0.80% | 37.2 | 40.7 |
| 2057 | 8,850 | -0.79% | 36.9 | 41.1 |
| 2058 | 8,780 | -0.81% | 36.6 | 41.6 |
| 2059 | 8,711 | -0.75% | 36.3 | 42.0 |
| 2060 | 8,645 | -0.80% | 36.0 | 42.4 |
| 2061 | 8,574 | -0.84% | 35.7 | 42.8 |
| 2062 | 8,508 | -0.69% | 35.5 | 43.1 |
| 2063 | 8,453 | -0.61% | 35.2 | 43.5 |
| 2064 | 8,403 | -0.57% | 35.0 | 43.8 |
| 2065 | 8,354 | -0.61% | 34.8 | 44.1 |
| 2066 | 8,310 | -0.45% | 34.6 | 44.4 |
| 2067 | 8,272 | -0.46% | 34.5 | 44.5 |
| 2068 | 8,244 | -0.22% | 34.4 | 44.6 |
| 2069 | 8,220 | -0.38% | 34.2 | 44.6 |
| 2070 | 8,191 | -0.32% | 34.1 | 44.3 |
| 2071 | 8,174 | -0.10% | 34.1 | 44.0 |
| 2072 | 8,166 | -0.10% | 34.0 | 43.6 |
| 2073 | 8,161 | -0.04% | 34.0 | 43.2 |
| 2074 | 8,158 | -0.04% | 34.0 | 42.8 |
| 2075 | 8,154 | -0.05% | 34.0 | 42.5 |
| 2076 | 8,151 | -0.03% | 34.0 | 42.4 |
| 2077 | 8,150 | 0.01% | 34.0 | 42.3 |
| 2078 | 8,152 | 0.04% | 34.0 | 42.3 |
| 2079 | 8,157 | 0.07% | 34.0 | 42.3 |
| 2080 | 8,161 | 0.01% | 34.0 | 42.5 |
| 2081 | 8,162 | 0.03% | 34.0 | 42.7 |
| 2082 | 8,164 | 0.02% | 34.0 | 43.0 |
| 2083 | 8,166 | 0.04% | 34.0 | 43.3 |
| 2084 | 8,169 | 0.04% | 34.0 | 43.7 |
| 2085 | 8,170 | -0.02% | 34.0 | 44.0 |
| 2086 | 8,169 | 0.01% | 34.0 | 44.5 |
| 2087 | 8,167 | -0.07% | 34.0 | 44.9 |
| 2088 | 8,160 | -0.10% | 34.0 | 45.3 |
| 2089 | 8,150 | -0.16% | 34.0 | 45.8 |
| 2090 | 8,139 | -0.10% | 33.9 | 46.2 |
| 2091 | 8,126 | -0.23% | 33.9 | 46.7 |
| 2092 | 8,106 | -0.25% | 33.8 | 47.1 |
| 2093 | 8,089 | -0.17% | 33.7 | 47.6 |
| 2094 | 8,072 | -0.26% | 33.6 | 48.0 |
| 2095 | 8,046 | -0.36% | 33.5 | 48.4 |
| 2096 | 8,020 | -0.30% | 33.4 | 48.7 |
| 2097 | 7,997 | -0.28% | 33.3 | 49.0 |
| 2098 | 7,971 | -0.38% | 33.2 | 49.3 |
| 2099 | 7,937 | -0.48% | 33.1 | 49.6 |
| 2100 | 7,904 | -0.37% | 32.9 | 49.7 |
States & provinces of Cook Islands by population
| # | State / province | Population | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rarotonga | 13,044 | 101.7% |
| 2 | Aitutaki | 2,000 | 15.6% |
| 3 | Mangaia | 744 | 5.8% |
| 4 | Pukapuka | 507 | 4.0% |
| 5 | Manihiki | 500 | 3.9% |
| 6 | Penrhyn | 357 | 2.8% |
| 7 | Atiu | 297 | 2.3% |
| 8 | Mitiaro | 219 | 1.7% |
| 9 | Rakahanga | 127 | 1.0% |
| 10 | Palmerston | 57 | 0.4% |
State populations: GeoNames (latest official figures, reference dates vary by country).
Biggest cities in Cook Islands
| # | City | Region | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Avarua capital | Rarotonga | 13,373 |
FAQ
What is the population of Cook Islands in 2026?
The population of Cook Islands is 12,826 in 2026, according to UN World Population Prospects 2024 (medium variant).
What is the biggest city in Cook Islands?
Avarua is the biggest city in Cook Islands with 13,373 inhabitants and it is also the capital.
Is the population of Cook Islands growing or shrinking?
The population of Cook Islands is shrinking at -3.26% per year.
Sources
- Country data: United Nations World Population Prospects 2024, medium variant (CC BY 3.0 IGO). Retrieved 2026-07-06.
- City and state data: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). Retrieved 2026-07-06.
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