In the middle of 2023, about 60 percent of the global population was living in Asia.The total world population amounted to 8.1 billion people on the planet. In other words 4.7 billion people were living in Asia as of 2023. Global populationDue to medical advances, better living conditions and the increase of agricultural productivity, the world population increased rapidly over the past century, and is expected to continue to grow. After reaching eight billion in 2023, the global population is estimated to pass 10 billion by 2060. Africa expected to drive population increase Most of the future population increase is expected to happen in Africa. The countries with the highest population growth rate in 2024 were mostly African countries. While around 1.47 billion people live on the continent as of 2024, this is forecast to grow to 3.9 billion by 2100. This is underlined by the fact that most of the countries wit the highest population growth rate are found in Africa. The growing population, in combination with climate change, puts increasing pressure on the world's resources.

The average for 2023 based on 47 countries was 1.23 percent. The highest value was in India: 17.91 percent and the lowest value was in Bhutan: 0.01 percent. The indicator is available from 1960 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

Between 1800 and 2021, the total population of each continent experienced consistent growth, however as growth rates varied by region, population distribution has fluctuated. In the early 19th century, almost 70 percent of the world's population lived in Asia, while fewer than 10 percent lived in Africa. By the end of this century, it is believed that Asia's share will fall to roughly 45 percent, while Africa's will be on course to reach 40 percent. 19th and 20th centuries Fewer than 2.5 percent of the world's population lived in the Americas in 1800, however the demographic transition, along with waves of migration, would see this share rise to almost 10 percent a century later, peaking at almost 14 percent in the 1960s. Europe's share of the global population also grew in the 19th century, to roughly a quarter in 1900, but fell thereafter and saw the largest relative decline during the 20th century. Asia, which has consistently been the world's most populous continent, saw its population share drop by the mid-1900s, but it has been around 60 percent since the 1970s. It is important to note that the world population has grown from approximately one to eight billion people between 1800 and the 2020s, and that declines in population distribution before 2020 have resulted from different growth rates across the continents. 21st century Africa's population share remained fairly constant throughout this time, fluctuating between 7.5 and 10 percent until the late-1900s, but it is set to see the largest change over the 21st century. As Europe's total population is now falling, and it is estimated that the total populations of Asia and the Americas will fall by the 2050s and 2070s respectively, rapid population growth in Africa will see a significant shift in population distribution. Africa's population is predicted to grow from 1.3 to 3.9 billion people over the next eight decades, and its share of the total population will rise to almost 40 percent. The only other continent whose population will still be growing at this time will be Oceania, although its share of the total population has never been more than 0.7 percent.

Graph and download economic data for Population, Total for Developing Countries in East Asia and Pacific (SPPOPTOTLEAP) from 1960 to 2024 about East Asia, Pacific, and population.

This dataset provides values for POPULATION reported in several countries. The data includes current values, previous releases, historical highs and record lows, release frequency, reported unit and currency.

Population figures for countries, regions (e.g. Asia) and the world. Data comes originally from World Bank and has been converted into standard CSV.

The average for 2023 based on 11 countries was 2.41 percent. The highest value was in India: 17.91 percent and the lowest value was in Brunei: 0.01 percent. The indicator is available from 1960 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

There are approximately 8.16 billion people living in the world today, a figure that shows a dramatic increase since the beginning of the Common Era. Since the 1970s, the global population has also more than doubled in size. It is estimated that the world's population will reach and surpass 10 billion people by 2060 and plateau at around 10.3 billion in the 2080s, before it then begins to fall. Asia When it comes to number of inhabitants per continent, Asia is the most populous continent in the world by a significant margin, with roughly 60 percent of the world's population living there. Similar to other global regions, a quarter of inhabitants in Asia are under 15 years of age. The most populous nations in the world are India and China respectively; each inhabit more than three times the amount of people than the third-ranked United States. 10 of the 20 most populous countries in the world are found in Asia. Africa Interestingly, the top 20 countries with highest population growth rate are mainly countries in Africa. This is due to the present stage of Sub-Saharan Africa's demographic transition, where mortality rates are falling significantly, although fertility rates are yet to drop and match this. As much of Asia is nearing the end of its demographic transition, population growth is predicted to be much slower in this century than in the previous; in contrast, Africa's population is expected to reach almost four billion by the year 2100. Unlike demographic transitions in other continents, Africa's population development is being influenced by climate change on a scale unseen by most other global regions. Rising temperatures are exacerbating challenges such as poor sanitation, lack of infrastructure, and political instability, which have historically hindered societal progress. It remains to be seen how Africa and the world at large adapts to this crisis as it continues to cause drought, desertification, natural disasters, and climate migration across the region.

In 2023, the total population of all ASEAN states amounted to an estimated 619.02 million inhabitants. The ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) member countries are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. ASEAN opportunity The Association of Southeast Asian Nations was founded by five states (Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Singapore) in 1967 to improve economic and political stability and social progress among the member states. It was originally modelled after the European Union. Nowadays, after accepting more members, their agenda also includes an improvement of cultural and environmental conditions. ASEAN is now an important player on the global stage with numerous alliances and business partners, as well as more contenders wanting to join. The major player in the SouthIndonesia is not only a founding member of ASEAN, it is also its biggest contributor in terms of gross domestic product and is also one of the member states with a positive trade balance. In addition, it has the highest number of inhabitants by far. About a third of all people in the ASEAN live in Indonesia – and it is also one of the most populous countries worldwide. Among the ASEAN members, it is certainly the most powerful one, not just in numbers, but mostly due to its stable and thriving economy.

Population growth (annual %) in South Asia was reported at 0.88648 % in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. South Asia - Population growth (annual %) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on August of 2025.

This dataset provides population figures for countries, regions, and the world. The data is sourced from the World Bank and has been converted into a standard CSV format. The data is based on various sources, including the United Nations Population Division, United Nations Statistical Division, national statistical offices, Eurostat, the Secretariat of the Pacific Community, and the US Census Bureau. The dataset includes information on population figures from different years and covers different regions of the world.

Graph and download economic data for Population Growth for South Asia (SPPOPGROWSAS) from 1961 to 2024 about South Asia, population, and rate.

Whereas the population is expected to decrease somewhat until 2100 in Asia, Europe, and South America, it is predicted to grow significantly in Africa. While there were 1.55 billion inhabitants on the continent at the beginning of 2025, the number of inhabitants is expected to reach 3.81 billion by 2100. In total, the global population is expected to reach nearly 10.18 billion by 2100. Worldwide population In the United States, the total population is expected to steadily increase over the next couple of years. In 2024, Asia held over half of the global population and is expected to have the highest number of people living in urban areas in 2050. Asia is home to the two most populous countries, India and China, both with a population of over one billion people. However, the small country of Monaco had the highest population density worldwide in 2024. Effects of overpopulation Alongside the growing worldwide population, there are negative effects of overpopulation. The increasing population puts a higher pressure on existing resources and contributes to pollution. As the population grows, the demand for food grows, which requires more water, which in turn takes away from the freshwater available. Concurrently, food needs to be transported through different mechanisms, which contributes to air pollution. Not every resource is renewable, meaning the world is using up limited resources that will eventually run out. Furthermore, more species will become extinct which harms the ecosystem and food chain. Overpopulation was considered to be one of the most important environmental issues worldwide in 2020.

Population Growth for Developing Countries in East Asia and Pacific was 0.18595 % Chg. at Annual Rate in January of 2023, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, Population Growth for Developing Countries in East Asia and Pacific reached a record high of 2.81033 in January of 1966 and a record low of -0.04428 in January of 1961. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Population Growth for Developing Countries in East Asia and Pacific - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on July of 2025.

Graph and download economic data for Population Growth: All Income Levels for East Asia and Pacific (SPPOPGROWEAS) from 1961 to 2023 about East Asia, Pacific, income, population, and rate.

The world's population first reached one billion people in 1805, and reached eight billion in 2022, and will peak at almost 10.2 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 lives 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 few years 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.

The average for 2023 based on 47 countries was 1.13 percent. The highest value was in Singapore: 4.86 percent and the lowest value was in Lebanon: -2.5 percent. The indicator is available from 1961 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

Population, total in South Asia was reported at 1677384532 in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. South Asia - Population, total - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on August of 2025.

Graph and download economic data for Population, Total: All Income Levels for East Asia and Pacific (SPPOPTOTLEAS) from 1960 to 2024 about East Asia, Pacific, income, and population.

The average for 2023 based on 7 countries was 69354 refugees. The highest value was in India: 252867 refugees and the lowest value was in Vietnam: 19 refugees. The indicator is available from 1960 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.