| Source | UN (World Population Prospects 2019) |
| Date | 23 Aug 2021 |
The current population of Cook Islands is 17,552 as of September 29, 2023, based on interpolation of the latest United Nations data. The population of Cook Islands is projected at 17,565 or 17.57 thousand as of July 1, 2021. The total population in Cook Islands is projected at 17,564 or 17.56 thousands people for the year 2020. Cook Islands ranks number 223th in the world by population in the list of 235 countries/territories. Cook Islands is ranked 18th among 23 countries in Oceania.
Cook Islands's population peaked in 1990 with 21.4 thousand people after Cook Islands's population decreased year by year. The Cook Islands population is projected to reach 17.5 thousand in 2030 and decrease further to 17.1 thousand in 2050 and 13.8 thousand by 2100. Cook Islands accounts for 0.00022 percent of the world population. Its global share has been declining since 0.00059% of 1961 and is projected to decline at 0.00013% by 2100.
Cook Islands was at 210th position globally in 1950, and its rank is projected to decline at 224th in 2100.
| Year | Population | Growth | Share (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net Change | rate (%) | to World | ||
| 2020 | 17,564 | 16 | 0.09 | 0.00023 |
| 2021 | 17,565 | 1 | 0.01 | 0.00022 |
| 2022 | 17,571 | 6 | 0.03 | 0.00022 |
| 2023 | 17,563 | -8 | -0.05 | 0.00022 |
| 2024 | 17,553 | -10 | -0.06 | 0.00022 |
| 2025 | 17,544 | -9 | -0.05 | 0.00021 |
| 2026 | 17,546 | 2 | 0.01 | 0.00021 |
| 2027 | 17,530 | -16 | -0.09 | 0.00021 |
| 2028 | 17,534 | 4 | 0.02 | 0.00021 |
| 2029 | 17,529 | -5 | -0.03 | 0.00021 |
| 2030 | 17,524 | -5 | -0.03 | 0.00020 |
| 2031 | 17,520 | -4 | -0.02 | 0.00020 |
| 2032 | 17,513 | -7 | -0.04 | 0.00020 |
| 2033 | 17,507 | -6 | -0.03 | 0.00020 |
| 2034 | 17,492 | -15 | -0.09 | 0.00020 |
| 2035 | 17,480 | -12 | -0.07 | 0.00020 |
| 2036 | 17,467 | -13 | -0.07 | 0.00020 |
| 2037 | 17,450 | -17 | -0.10 | 0.00019 |
| 2038 | 17,437 | -13 | -0.07 | 0.00019 |
| 2039 | 17,421 | -16 | -0.09 | 0.00019 |
| 2040 | 17,396 | -25 | -0.14 | 0.00019 |
| 2041 | 17,371 | -25 | -0.14 | 0.00019 |
| 2042 | 17,349 | -22 | -0.13 | 0.00019 |
| 2043 | 17,317 | -32 | -0.18 | 0.00018 |
| 2044 | 17,290 | -27 | -0.16 | 0.00018 |
| 2045 | 17,255 | -35 | -0.20 | 0.00018 |
| 2046 | 17,225 | -30 | -0.17 | 0.00018 |
| 2047 | 17,191 | -34 | -0.20 | 0.00018 |
| 2048 | 17,153 | -38 | -0.22 | 0.00018 |
| 2049 | 17,118 | -35 | -0.20 | 0.00018 |
| 2050 | 17,081 | -37 | -0.22 | 0.00018 |
| 2051 | 17,038 | -43 | -0.25 | 0.00017 |
| 2052 | 16,990 | -48 | -0.28 | 0.00017 |
| 2053 | 16,941 | -49 | -0.29 | 0.00017 |
| 2054 | 16,895 | -46 | -0.27 | 0.00017 |
| 2055 | 16,843 | -52 | -0.31 | 0.00017 |
| 2056 | 16,796 | -47 | -0.28 | 0.00017 |
| 2057 | 16,742 | -54 | -0.32 | 0.00017 |
| 2058 | 16,689 | -53 | -0.32 | 0.00017 |
| 2059 | 16,634 | -55 | -0.33 | 0.00016 |
| 2060 | 16,585 | -49 | -0.29 | 0.00016 |
| 2061 | 16,524 | -61 | -0.37 | 0.00016 |
| 2062 | 16,472 | -52 | -0.31 | 0.00016 |
| 2063 | 16,412 | -60 | -0.36 | 0.00016 |
| 2064 | 16,356 | -56 | -0.34 | 0.00016 |
| 2065 | 16,301 | -55 | -0.34 | 0.00016 |
| 2066 | 16,248 | -53 | -0.33 | 0.00016 |
| 2067 | 16,190 | -58 | -0.36 | 0.00016 |
| 2068 | 16,137 | -53 | -0.33 | 0.00016 |
| 2069 | 16,075 | -62 | -0.38 | 0.00015 |
| 2070 | 16,018 | -57 | -0.35 | 0.00015 |
| 2071 | 15,966 | -52 | -0.32 | 0.00015 |
| 2072 | 15,903 | -63 | -0.39 | 0.00015 |
| 2073 | 15,849 | -54 | -0.34 | 0.00015 |
| 2074 | 15,794 | -55 | -0.35 | 0.00015 |
| 2075 | 15,730 | -64 | -0.41 | 0.00015 |
| 2076 | 15,664 | -66 | -0.42 | 0.00015 |
| 2077 | 15,614 | -50 | -0.32 | 0.00015 |
| 2078 | 15,548 | -66 | -0.42 | 0.00015 |
| 2079 | 15,480 | -68 | -0.44 | 0.00015 |
| 2080 | 15,415 | -65 | -0.42 | 0.00014 |
| 2081 | 15,348 | -67 | -0.43 | 0.00014 |
| 2082 | 15,275 | -73 | -0.48 | 0.00014 |
| 2083 | 15,208 | -67 | -0.44 | 0.00014 |
| 2084 | 15,138 | -70 | -0.46 | 0.00014 |
| 2085 | 15,064 | -74 | -0.49 | 0.00014 |
| 2086 | 14,992 | -72 | -0.48 | 0.00014 |
| 2087 | 14,912 | -80 | -0.53 | 0.00014 |
| 2088 | 14,831 | -81 | -0.54 | 0.00014 |
| 2089 | 14,754 | -77 | -0.52 | 0.00014 |
| 2090 | 14,668 | -86 | -0.58 | 0.00014 |
| 2091 | 14,592 | -76 | -0.52 | 0.00013 |
| 2092 | 14,507 | -85 | -0.58 | 0.00013 |
| 2093 | 14,420 | -87 | -0.60 | 0.00013 |
| 2094 | 14,329 | -91 | -0.63 | 0.00013 |
| 2095 | 14,237 | -92 | -0.64 | 0.00013 |
| 2096 | 14,154 | -83 | -0.58 | 0.00013 |
| 2097 | 14,058 | -96 | -0.68 | 0.00013 |
| 2098 | 13,964 | -94 | -0.67 | 0.00013 |
| 2099 | 13,877 | -87 | -0.62 | 0.00013 |
| 2100 | 13,788 | -89 | -0.64 | 0.00013 |
| Year | Population | Growth | Share (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net Change | rate (%) | to World | ||
| 1950 | 15,077 | - | - | 0.00059 |
| 1951 | 15,407 | 330 | 2.19 | 0.00060 |
| 1952 | 15,632 | 225 | 1.46 | 0.00059 |
| 1953 | 15,834 | 202 | 1.29 | 0.00059 |
| 1954 | 16,056 | 222 | 1.40 | 0.00059 |
| 1955 | 16,347 | 291 | 1.81 | 0.00059 |
| 1956 | 16,711 | 364 | 2.23 | 0.00059 |
| 1957 | 17,124 | 413 | 2.47 | 0.00060 |
| 1958 | 17,551 | 427 | 2.49 | 0.00060 |
| 1959 | 17,927 | 376 | 2.14 | 0.00060 |
| 1960 | 18,212 | 285 | 1.59 | 0.00060 |
| 1961 | 18,383 | 171 | 0.94 | 0.00059 |
| 1962 | 18,455 | 72 | 0.39 | 0.00059 |
| 1963 | 18,503 | 48 | 0.26 | 0.00058 |
| 1964 | 18,630 | 127 | 0.69 | 0.00057 |
| 1965 | 18,894 | 264 | 1.42 | 0.00057 |
| 1966 | 19,328 | 434 | 2.30 | 0.00057 |
| 1967 | 19,893 | 565 | 2.92 | 0.00057 |
| 1968 | 20,489 | 596 | 3.00 | 0.00058 |
| 1969 | 20,988 | 499 | 2.44 | 0.00058 |
| 1970 | 21,302 | 314 | 1.50 | 0.00058 |
| 1971 | 21,398 | 96 | 0.45 | 0.00057 |
| 1972 | 21,306 | -92 | -0.43 | 0.00055 |
| 1973 | 21,056 | -250 | -1.17 | 0.00054 |
| 1974 | 20,687 | -369 | -1.75 | 0.00052 |
| 1975 | 20,234 | -453 | -2.19 | 0.00050 |
| 1976 | 19,692 | -542 | -2.68 | 0.00047 |
| 1977 | 19,070 | -622 | -3.16 | 0.00045 |
| 1978 | 18,441 | -629 | -3.30 | 0.00043 |
| 1979 | 17,902 | -539 | -2.92 | 0.00041 |
| 1980 | 17,512 | -390 | -2.18 | 0.00039 |
| 1981 | 17,304 | -208 | -1.19 | 0.00038 |
| 1982 | 17,263 | -41 | -0.24 | 0.00037 |
| 1983 | 17,345 | 82 | 0.48 | 0.00037 |
| 1984 | 17,472 | 127 | 0.73 | 0.00037 |
| 1985 | 17,603 | 131 | 0.75 | 0.00036 |
| 1986 | 17,706 | 103 | 0.59 | 0.00036 |
| 1987 | 17,801 | 95 | 0.54 | 0.00035 |
| 1988 | 17,901 | 100 | 0.56 | 0.00035 |
| 1989 | 18,028 | 127 | 0.71 | 0.00034 |
| 1990 | 18,191 | 163 | 0.90 | 0.00034 |
| 1991 | 18,420 | 229 | 1.26 | 0.00034 |
| 1992 | 18,682 | 262 | 1.42 | 0.00034 |
| 1993 | 18,926 | 244 | 1.31 | 0.00034 |
| 1994 | 19,077 | 151 | 0.80 | 0.00034 |
| 1995 | 19,097 | 20 | 0.10 | 0.00033 |
| 1996 | 18,946 | -151 | -0.79 | 0.00033 |
| 1997 | 18,658 | -288 | -1.52 | 0.00032 |
| 1998 | 18,313 | -345 | -1.85 | 0.00031 |
| 1999 | 18,041 | -272 | -1.49 | 0.00030 |
| 2000 | 17,930 | -111 | -0.62 | 0.00029 |
| 2001 | 18,025 | 95 | 0.53 | 0.00029 |
| 2002 | 18,278 | 253 | 1.40 | 0.00029 |
| 2003 | 18,608 | 330 | 1.81 | 0.00029 |
| 2004 | 18,904 | 296 | 1.59 | 0.00029 |
| 2005 | 19,074 | 170 | 0.90 | 0.00029 |
| 2006 | 19,092 | 18 | 0.09 | 0.00029 |
| 2007 | 19,001 | -91 | -0.48 | 0.00028 |
| 2008 | 18,818 | -183 | -0.96 | 0.00028 |
| 2009 | 18,602 | -216 | -1.15 | 0.00027 |
| 2010 | 18,391 | -211 | -1.13 | 0.00026 |
| 2011 | 18,195 | -196 | -1.07 | 0.00026 |
| 2012 | 18,011 | -184 | -1.01 | 0.00025 |
| 2013 | 17,833 | -178 | -0.99 | 0.00025 |
| 2014 | 17,691 | -142 | -0.80 | 0.00024 |
| 2015 | 17,586 | -105 | -0.59 | 0.00024 |
| 2016 | 17,524 | -62 | -0.35 | 0.00023 |
| 2017 | 17,507 | -17 | -0.10 | 0.00023 |
| 2018 | 17,518 | 11 | 0.06 | 0.00023 |
| 2019 | 17,548 | 30 | 0.17 | 0.00023 |