World's most populous country

Published by Naitik Mehta · March 22, 2026

Stuck on the clue World's most populous country from the New York Times Mini for March 22, 2026? We have the correct 5-letter answer, including the definition, alternative hints, as well as other answers from the same crossword. Ready to learn more about this clue?

Clue

World's most populous country (5)

Answer

The answer to World's most populous country is India (5 letters).

Why does India fit this clue?

This is a direct definition clue where 'World's most populous country' points to INDIA. India is a South Asian nation with over 1.4 billion people, making it the most populous country on Earth. India surpassed China in population in 2023, officially becoming the world's demographic leader. The clue works as a straightforward factual statement that identifies India by its current status as the country with the largest number of inhabitants.

What does World's most populous country mean?

We break down each word in the clue and show its dictionary definition below.

populous

adjective

•having a large population; densely inhabited

Where did this clue appear?

This clue appeared as 4-down in the New York Times Mini on March 22, 2026, by Joel Fagliano. See all answers for this puzzle.

NYT Mini — Mar 22, 2026

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What does India mean?

proper noun

•a country in South Asia that became the world's most populous nation in 2023, surpassing China with over 1.4 billion people

How to use India in a sentence

Here are 3 examples of how to use the word India.

•“India recently surpassed China to become the world's most populous country with over 1.4 billion people.”

•“The spices used in this curry were imported directly from India.”

•“She studied abroad in India for a semester to learn about ancient Hindu traditions.”

What are other crossword clues for India?

“The "I" of 1-Down” (5)

“Where chess, shampoo and the number zero were invented” (5)

Learn about related clues

All clues from the New York Times Mini, Mar 22, 2026 crossword

The New York Times Mini for March 22, 2026 was published by Joel Fagliano and has 10 clues. Curious about all the answers from this crossword puzzle? View all answers here.

Across

1AJost of "Saturday Night Live" (5)6AGerman wine valley whose name rhymes with "wine" (5)7ABig name in root beer (5)8ACommon slot machine symbol (5)9AJames Talarico's state (5)

Down

1DCunning skill (5)2DChicago airport (5)3DOperating system on which Android is partly based (5)4DWorld's most populous country (5)5DSmall salamanders (5)

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Frequently asked questions about World's most populous country

What is the answer to World's most populous country?: The answer is India (5 letters).
Where did this clue appear?: This clue was last seen in the New York Times Mini on March 22, 2026.
How many letters does the answer to World's most populous country have?: The answer has 5 letters: India.

Author

Naitik Mehta

Co-founder

Naitik is a gaming enthusiast who loves solving daily word games and enjoys the friendly competition from time to time. He is the co-founder of Crossword Chef and enjoys thinking about how to make crossword solving more fun for everyone around the world.