As of February 2025, Denmark, Netherlands, Norway, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates ed the ranking of countries with the highest internet penetration rate, all recording ** percent. The worldwide internet penetration rate as of the same research period was **** percent. Most connected regions According to the most recent observations, Northern Europe ranked first among global regions by connectivity rate. The share of the population accessing the internet in this region was nearly ** percent. Western Europe ranked second, followed by Northern America. Overall, the internet reach was higher than ** percent across all European regions, as well as Northern and Southern Americas. Unconnected populations Despite having the biggest online audiences worldwide, India and China are also the markets with the highest number of individuals not connected to the web. Regarding the share of population without internet access in worldwide markets, North Korea ranks first, as the internet in the country remains blocked for most of the general public as of April 2025. Burundi had **** percent of its population unconnected, followed by Chad, with **** percent.

Niger had the highest birth rate in the world in 2024, with a birth rate of 46.6 births per 1,000 inhabitants. Angola, Benin, Mali, and Uganda followed. Except for Afghanistan, all the 20 countries with the highest birth rates in the world were located in Sub-Saharan Africa. High infant mortality The reasons behind the high birth rates in many Sub-Saharan African countries are manyfold, but a major reason is that infant mortality remains high on the continent, despite decreasing steadily over the past decades, resulting in high birth rates to counter death rates. Moreover, many nations in Sub-Saharan Africa are highly reliant on small-scale farming, meaning that more hands are of importance. Additionally, polygamy is not uncommon in the region, and having many children is often seen as a symbol of status. Fastest growing populations As the high fertility rates coincide with decreasing death rates, countries in Sub-Saharan Africa have the highest population growth rates in the world. As a result, with Africa's population forecast to increase from 1.4 billion in 2022 to over 3.9 billion by 2100.

This horizontal bar chart displays birth rate (per 1,000 people) by country using the aggregation average, weighted by population. The data is about countries.

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

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

This horizontal bar chart displays birth rate (per 1,000 people) by country full name using the aggregation average, weighted by population in Eastern Asia. The data is about countries.

This horizontal bar chart displays birth rate (per 1,000 people) by continent using the aggregation average, weighted by population in Central America. The data is about countries.

In the 2023 edition of the globalization index, Switzerland had the highest index score at 90.75. Belgium followed behind, with the Netherlands in third. Overall, globalization declined in 2020 due to the COVID-19 outbreak, but increased somewhat in 2021, even though it was still below pre-pandemic levels.

About the index

The KOF Index of Globalization aims to measure the rate of globalization in countries around the world. Data used to construct the 2023 edition of the index was from 2021. The index is based on three dimensions, or core sets of indicators: economic, social, and political. Via these three dimensions, the overall index of globalization tries to assess current economic flows, economic restrictions, data on information flows, data on personal contact, and data on cultural proximity within surveyed countries.

Defining globalization

Globalization is defined for this index as the process of creating networks of connections among actors at multi-continental distances, mediated through a variety of flows including people, information and ideas, capital and goods. It is a process that erodes national boundaries, integrates national economies, cultures, technologies and governance and produces complex relations of mutual interdependence.

The average for 2023 based on 193 countries was -0.07 points. The highest value was in Liechtenstein: 1.61 points and the lowest value was in Syria: -2.75 points. The indicator is available from 1996 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

An analytical overview of countries experiencing rising population growth rates, examining contributing factors and global implications.

The average for 2019 based on 141 countries was 4.07 points. The highest value was in Singapore: 6.5 points and the lowest value was in Chad: 1.9 points. The indicator is available from 2006 to 2019. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

The average for 2024 based on 175 countries was 5.42 index points. The highest value was in Iran: 10 index points and the lowest value was in Iceland: 0.2 index points. The indicator is available from 2007 to 2024. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

This horizontal bar chart displays death rate (per 1,000 people) by country full name using the aggregation average, weighted by population in South America. The data is about countries per year.

The average for 2023 based on 184 countries was 0.54 percent. The highest value was in the USA: 26.47 percent and the lowest value was in Andorra: 0 percent. The indicator is available from 1980 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

The average for 2022 based on 78 countries was 439.569 index points. The highest value was in Singapore: 574.664 index points and the lowest value was in Cambodia: 336.396 index points. The indicator is available from 2003 to 2022. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

In 2023, Singapore dominated the ranking of the world's health and health systems, followed by Japan and South Korea. The health index score is calculated by evaluating various indicators that assess the health of the population, and access to the services required to sustain good health, including health outcomes, health systems, sickness and risk factors, and mortality rates. The health and health system index score of the top ten countries with the best healthcare system in the world ranged between 82 and 86.9, measured on a scale of zero to 100.

Global Health Security Index  Numerous health and health system indexes have been developed to assess various attributes and aspects of a nation's healthcare system. One such measure is the Global Health Security (GHS) index. This index evaluates the ability of 195 nations to identify, assess, and mitigate biological hazards in addition to political and socioeconomic concerns, the quality of their healthcare systems, and their compliance with international finance and standards. In 2021, the United States was ranked at the top of the GHS index, but due to multiple reasons, the U.S. government failed to effectively manage the COVID-19 pandemic. The GHS Index evaluates capability and identifies preparation gaps; nevertheless, it cannot predict a nation's resource allocation in case of a public health emergency.

Universal Health Coverage Index  Another health index that is used globally by the members of the United Nations (UN) is the universal health care (UHC) service coverage index. The UHC index monitors the country's progress related to the sustainable developmental goal (SDG) number three. The UHC service coverage index tracks 14 indicators related to reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health, infectious diseases, non-communicable diseases, service capacity, and access to care. The main target of universal health coverage is to ensure that no one is denied access to essential medical services due to financial hardships. In 2021, the UHC index scores ranged from as low as 21 to a high score of 91 across 194 countries. 

This statistic shows the 20 countries with the highest population growth rate in 2024. In SouthSudan, the population grew by about 4.65 percent compared to the previous year, making it the country with the highest population growth rate in 2024. The global population Today, the global population amounts to around 7 billion people, i.e. the total number of living humans on Earth. More than half of the global population is living in Asia, while one quarter of the global population resides in Africa. High fertility rates in Africa and Asia, a decline in the mortality rates and an increase in the median age of the world population all contribute to the global population growth. Statistics show that the global population is subject to increase by almost 4 billion people by 2100. The global population growth is a direct result of people living longer because of better living conditions and a healthier nutrition. Three out of five of the most populous countries in the world are located in Asia. Ultimately the highest population growth rate is also found there, the country with the highest population growth rate is Syria. This could be due to a low infant mortality rate in Syria or the ever -expanding tourism sector.

This horizontal bar chart displays death rate (per 1,000 people) by country full name using the aggregation average, weighted by population in Europe. The data is about countries.

This horizontal bar chart displays death rate (per 1,000 people) by ISO 3 country code using the aggregation average, weighted by population in Micronesia. The data is about countries.

This horizontal bar chart displays death rate (per 1,000 people) by country using the aggregation average, weighted by population. The data is about countries.