Throughout most of human history, global population growth was very low; between 10,000BCE and 1700CE, the average annual increase was just 0.04 percent. Therefore, it took several thousand years for the global population to reach one billion people, doing so in 1803. However, this period marked the beginning of a global phenomenon known as the demographic transition, from which point population growth skyrocketed. With the introduction of modern medicines (especially vaccination), as well as improvements in water sanitation, food supply, and infrastructure, child mortality fell drastically and life expectancy increased, causing the population to grow. This process is linked to economic and technological development, and did not take place concurrently across the globe; it mostly began in Europe and other industrialized regions in the 19thcentury, before spreading across Asia and Latin America in the 20th century. As the most populous societies in the world are found in Asia, the demographic transition in this region coincided with the fastest period of global population growth. Today, Sub-Saharan Africa is the region at the earliest stage of this transition. As population growth slows across the other continents, with the populations of the Americas, Asia, and Europe expected to be in decline by the 2070s, Africa's population is expected to grow by three billion people by the end of the 21st century.
Until the 1800s, population growth was incredibly slow on a global level. The global population was estimated to have been around 188 million people in the year 1CE, and did not reach one billion until around 1803. However, since the 1800s, a phenomenon known as the demographic transition has seen population growth skyrocket, reaching eight billion people in 2023, and this is expected to peak at over 10 billion in the 2080s.
As of February 2025, 5.56 billion individuals worldwide were internet users, which amounted to 67.9 percent of the global population. Of this total, 5.24 billion, or 63.9 percent of the world's population, were social media users. Global internet usage Connecting billions of people worldwide, the internet is a core pillar of the modern information society. Northern Europe ranked first among worldwide regions by the share of the population using the internet in 20254. In The Netherlands, Norway and Saudi Arabia, 99 percent of the population used the internet as of February 2025. North Korea was at the opposite end of the spectrum, with virtually no internet usage penetration among the general population, ranking last worldwide. Eastern Asia was home to the largest number of online users worldwide – over 1.34 billion at the latest count. Southern Asia ranked second, with around 1.2 billion internet users. China, India, and the United States rank ahead of other countries worldwide by the number of internet users. Worldwide internet user demographics As of 2024, the share of female internet users worldwide was 65 percent, five percent less than that of men. Gender disparity in internet usage was bigger in African countries, with around a ten percent difference. Worldwide regions, like the Commonwealth of Independent States and Europe, showed a smaller usage gap between these two genders. As of 2024, global internet usage was higher among individuals between 15 and 24 years old across all regions, with young people in Europe representing the most significant usage penetration, 98 percent. In comparison, the worldwide average for the age group 15–24 years was 79 percent. The income level of the countries was also an essential factor for internet access, as 93 percent of the population of the countries with high income reportedly used the internet, as opposed to only 27 percent of the low-income markets.
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Secure Internet servers (per 1 million people) in World was reported at 16379 in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. World - Secure Internet servers (per 1 million people) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.
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United States US: Population in Urban Agglomerations of More Than 1 Million: as % of Total Population data was reported at 45.896 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 45.666 % for 2016. United States US: Population in Urban Agglomerations of More Than 1 Million: as % of Total Population data is updated yearly, averaging 42.013 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 45.896 % in 2017 and a record low of 38.733 % in 1960. United States US: Population in Urban Agglomerations of More Than 1 Million: as % of Total Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Population in urban agglomerations of more than one million is the percentage of a country's population living in metropolitan areas that in 2018 had a population of more than one million people.; ; United Nations, World Urbanization Prospects.; Weighted average;
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United States US: Population in Urban Agglomerations of More Than 1 Million data was reported at 149,493,144.000 Person in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 147,686,617.000 Person for 2016. United States US: Population in Urban Agglomerations of More Than 1 Million data is updated yearly, averaging 103,208,971.000 Person from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 149,493,144.000 Person in 2017 and a record low of 69,978,587.000 Person in 1960. United States US: Population in Urban Agglomerations of More Than 1 Million data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Population in urban agglomerations of more than one million is the country's population living in metropolitan areas that in 2018 had a population of more than one million people.; ; United Nations, World Urbanization Prospects.; ;
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Secure Internet servers (per 1 million people) in United States was reported at 196554 in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. United States - Secure Internet servers (per 1 million people) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.
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Costa Rica CR: Population in Urban Agglomerations of More Than 1 Million data was reported at 1,482,460.000 Person in 2024. This records an increase from the previous number of 1,461,989.000 Person for 2023. Costa Rica CR: Population in Urban Agglomerations of More Than 1 Million data is updated yearly, averaging 791,543.000 Person from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2024, with 65 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1,482,460.000 Person in 2024 and a record low of 229,792.000 Person in 1960. Costa Rica CR: Population in Urban Agglomerations of More Than 1 Million data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Costa Rica – Table CR.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Population in urban agglomerations of more than one million is the country's population living in metropolitan areas that in 2018 had a population of more than one million people.;United Nations, World Urbanization Prospects.;;
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Mali ML: Population in Urban Agglomerations of More Than 1 Million data was reported at 2,368,347.000 Person in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 2,292,458.000 Person for 2016. Mali ML: Population in Urban Agglomerations of More Than 1 Million data is updated yearly, averaging 703,465.500 Person from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2,368,347.000 Person in 2017 and a record low of 130,017.000 Person in 1960. Mali ML: Population in Urban Agglomerations of More Than 1 Million data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Mali – Table ML.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Population in urban agglomerations of more than one million is the country's population living in metropolitan areas that in 2018 had a population of more than one million people.; ; United Nations, World Urbanization Prospects.; ;
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Forecast: Population in Urban Agglomerations of More Than 1 Million People in the US 2024 - 2028 Discover more data with ReportLinker!
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Forecast: Population in Urban Agglomerations of More Than 1 Million People in Brazil 2024 - 2028 Discover more data with ReportLinker!
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Forecast: Population in Urban Agglomerations of More Than 1 Million People in China 2024 - 2028 Discover more data with ReportLinker!
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Ireland IE: Population in Urban Agglomerations of More Than 1 Million data was reported at 1,201,396.000 Person in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 1,184,771.000 Person for 2016. Ireland IE: Population in Urban Agglomerations of More Than 1 Million data is updated yearly, averaging 919,249.500 Person from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1,201,396.000 Person in 2017 and a record low of 661,202.000 Person in 1960. Ireland IE: Population in Urban Agglomerations of More Than 1 Million data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Ireland – Table IE.World Bank: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Population in urban agglomerations of more than one million is the country's population living in metropolitan areas that in 2000 had a population of more than one million people.; ; United Nations, World Urbanization Prospects.; ;
The world's population first reached one billion people in 1803, and reach eight billion in 2023, and will peak at almost 11 billion by the end of the century. Although it took thousands of years to reach one billion people, it did so at the beginning of a phenomenon known as the demographic transition; from this point onwards, population growth has skyrocketed, and since the 1960s the population has increased by one billion people every 12 to 15 years. The demographic transition sees a sharp drop in mortality due to factors such as vaccination, sanitation, and improved food supply; the population boom that follows is due to increased survival rates among children and higher life expectancy among the general population; and fertility then drops in response to this population growth. Regional differences The demographic transition is a global phenomenon, but it has taken place at different times across the world. The industrialized countries of Europe and North America were the first to go through this process, followed by some states in the Western Pacific. Latin America's population then began growing at the turn of the 20th century, but the most significant period of global population growth occurred as Asia progressed in the late-1900s. As of the early 21st century, almost two thirds of the world's population live in Asia, although this is set to change significantly in the coming decades. Future growth The growth of Africa's population, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, will have the largest impact on global demographics in this century. From 2000 to 2100, it is expected that Africa's population will have increased by a factor of almost five. It overtook Europe in size in the late 1990s, and overtook the Americas a decade later. In contrast to Africa, Europe's population is now in decline, as birth rates are consistently below death rates in many countries, especially in the south and east, resulting in natural population decline. Similarly, the population of the Americas and Asia are expected to go into decline in the second half of this century, and only Oceania's population will still be growing alongside Africa. By 2100, the world's population will have over three billion more than today, with the vast majority of this concentrated in Africa. Demographers predict that climate change is exacerbating many of the challenges that currently hinder progress in Africa, such as political and food instability; if Africa's transition is prolonged, then it may result in further population growth that would place a strain on the region's resources, however, curbing this growth earlier would alleviate some of the pressure created by climate change.
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Forecast: Population in Urban Agglomerations of More Than 1 Million People in Germany 2024 - 2028 Discover more data with ReportLinker!
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Austria AT: Population in Urban Agglomerations of More Than 1 Million data was reported at 1,990,487.000 Person in 2024. This records an increase from the previous number of 1,975,271.000 Person for 2023. Austria AT: Population in Urban Agglomerations of More Than 1 Million data is updated yearly, averaging 1,618,539.000 Person from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2024, with 65 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1,990,487.000 Person in 2024 and a record low of 1,531,462.000 Person in 1981. Austria AT: Population in Urban Agglomerations of More Than 1 Million data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Austria – Table AT.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Population in urban agglomerations of more than one million is the country's population living in metropolitan areas that in 2018 had a population of more than one million people.;United Nations, World Urbanization Prospects.;;
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Romania RO: Population in Urban Agglomerations of More Than 1 Million data was reported at 1,830,515.000 Person in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 1,839,695.000 Person for 2016. Romania RO: Population in Urban Agglomerations of More Than 1 Million data is updated yearly, averaging 1,886,986.500 Person from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2,060,655.000 Person in 1992 and a record low of 1,002,300.000 Person in 1960. Romania RO: Population in Urban Agglomerations of More Than 1 Million data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Romania – Table RO.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Population in urban agglomerations of more than one million is the country's population living in metropolitan areas that in 2018 had a population of more than one million people.; ; United Nations, World Urbanization Prospects.; ;
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Secure Internet servers (per 1 million people) in United Arab Emirates was reported at 2120 in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. United Arab Emirates - Secure Internet servers (per 1 million people) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2025.
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Costa Rica CR: Population in Urban Agglomerations of More Than 1 Million: as % of Total Population data was reported at 28.898 % in 2024. This records an increase from the previous number of 28.635 % for 2023. Costa Rica CR: Population in Urban Agglomerations of More Than 1 Million: as % of Total Population data is updated yearly, averaging 24.101 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2024, with 65 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 28.898 % in 2024 and a record low of 17.310 % in 1960. Costa Rica CR: Population in Urban Agglomerations of More Than 1 Million: as % of Total Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Costa Rica – Table CR.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Population in urban agglomerations of more than one million is the percentage of a country's population living in metropolitan areas that in 2018 had a population of more than one million people.;United Nations, World Urbanization Prospects.;Weighted average;
Throughout most of human history, global population growth was very low; between 10,000BCE and 1700CE, the average annual increase was just 0.04 percent. Therefore, it took several thousand years for the global population to reach one billion people, doing so in 1803. However, this period marked the beginning of a global phenomenon known as the demographic transition, from which point population growth skyrocketed. With the introduction of modern medicines (especially vaccination), as well as improvements in water sanitation, food supply, and infrastructure, child mortality fell drastically and life expectancy increased, causing the population to grow. This process is linked to economic and technological development, and did not take place concurrently across the globe; it mostly began in Europe and other industrialized regions in the 19thcentury, before spreading across Asia and Latin America in the 20th century. As the most populous societies in the world are found in Asia, the demographic transition in this region coincided with the fastest period of global population growth. Today, Sub-Saharan Africa is the region at the earliest stage of this transition. As population growth slows across the other continents, with the populations of the Americas, Asia, and Europe expected to be in decline by the 2070s, Africa's population is expected to grow by three billion people by the end of the 21st century.