Study the following table showing the world's most populous countries and their share of the world's population, then answer questions 15 to 17.
Country % of World Population India 17.5 China 17.2 United States of America 4.2 Indonesia 3.5 Pakistan 2.8 Brazil 2.68 Nigeria 2.6 Bangladesh 2.1 Mexico 1.6
China and Brazil together account for what percentage of the world population?
Study the following table showing the world's most populous countries and their share of the world's population, then answer questions 15 to 17.
| Country | % of World Population |
|---|---|
| India | 17.5 |
| China | 17.2 |
| United States of America | 4.2 |
| Indonesia | 3.5 |
| Pakistan | 2.8 |
| Brazil | 2.68 |
| Nigeria | 2.6 |
| Bangladesh | 2.1 |
| Mexico | 1.6 |
China and Brazil together account for what percentage of the world population?
Options
Official answer
The correct option is C: 19.88%.
Calculation from the table
- China's share of world population = 17.2%
- Brazil's share of world population = 2.68%
- Combined share = 17.2 + 2.68 = 19.88%
This matches option C exactly.
Marking scheme
- 1.1 mark for selecting option C (19.88), obtained by correctly adding China's 17.2% and Brazil's 2.68% share of world population.
Hint
Add China's % share (17.2) and Brazil's % share (2.68) directly from the table.
Quick oral answer
China contributes 17.2% and Brazil 2.68% of world population; added together they equal 19.88%, which is option C.
Common mistakes
- 1.Misreading the decimal percentage values in the table (e.g., confusing Brazil's 2.68 with Nigeria's 2.65).
- 2.Adding the wrong country pair, such as using India's 17.4% instead of China's 17.2%.
- 3.Simple addition/rounding errors while summing two decimal percentages under time pressure.
Analysis and explanation
This is a direct data-reading and addition question based on the given table of the world's most populous countries.
Why C is correct
- China accounts for 17.2% of world population.
- Brazil accounts for 2.68% of world population.
- Adding the two gives %, matching option C precisely.
Why the other options are wrong
- Option A (17.88) and Option B (17.58) are both too low for the correct sum — they would arise from mis-reading China's 17.2% as a smaller value or confusing it with another row.
- Option D (19.58) is close but wrong — it results from a small arithmetic slip, such as using 2.38% instead of Brazil's actual 2.68%.
Exam tip: Re-check the exact decimal figures for both rows before adding — such MCQs deliberately use close distractors to test careful reading.
Interesting facts
India and China together account for over 34% of world population in this data, making South and East Asia home to more than a third of humanity.
China's growth has slowed sharply following its historical one-child policy (1980-2015), while India has now overtaken it as the world's most populous country.
Brazil is the only South American country to feature among the world's ten most populous nations.
Question details
Q17 of 36 questions
- Board
- CBSE
- Class
- Class 12
- Subject
- Geography
- Year
- 2026
- Section
- Section A
- Marks
- 1
- Type
- MCQ
- Chapter
- The World Population: Distribution, Density and Growth
- Topic
- World Population — Most Populous Countries
- Bloom's level
- apply
- Syllabus topic
- Part A Unit 2: Fundamentals of Human Geography — The World Population: Distribution, Density and Growth (Most Populous Countries)
- Author
- CBSE
- Reviewed by
- Padhantu Academic Team
Spotted a mistake or something unclear?
Tell us and we will fix it.
Frequently asked questions
How do you calculate the combined percentage of two countries from a population table?
Simply add their individual '% of world population' figures directly from the table, since both values are already expressed as a percentage of the same total (world population).
Why is India excluded from this particular calculation?
The question specifically asks only about China and Brazil; India's 17.4% share is given in the same table for reference but is not part of this sum.