The statistic shows the development of the world population from 1950 to 2050. The world population was around 7.38 billion people in 2015.

The global population

As shown above, the total number of people living on Earth has more than doubled since the 1950s, and continues to increase. A look at the development of the world population since the beginning of the Common Era shows that such a surge in numbers is unprecedented. The first significant rise in population occurred during the 14th century, after the Black Death had killed approximately 25 million people worldwide. Subsequently, the global population increased slowly but steadily until it reached record numbers between 1950 and 2000.

The majority of the global population lives on the Asian continent, as a statistic of the world population by continent shows. In around 100 years, it is estimated that population levels on the African continent will have reached similar levels to those we see in Asia today. As for a forecast of the development of the world population, the figures are estimated to have reached more than 10 billion by the 22nd century.

Growing population numbers pose an increasing risk to the planet, since rocketing numbers equal increased consumption of food and resources. Scientists worry that natural resources, such as oil, and food resources will become scarce, endangering the human race and, even more so, the world’s ecosystem. Nowadays, the number of undernourished / starving people worldwide has decreased slightly, but forecasts paint a darker picture.

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.

Before 2025, the world's total population is expected to reach eight billion. Furthermore, it is predicted to reach over 10 billion in 2060, before slowing again as global birth rates are expected to decrease. Moreover, it is still unclear to what extent global warming will have an impact on population development. A high share of the population increase is expected to happen on the African continent.

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 1.5 billion inhabitants on the continent at the beginning of 2024, the number of inhabitants is expected to reach 3.8 billion by 2100. In total, the global population is expected to reach nearly 10.4 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 2021. 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.

Chart and table of World population from 1950 to 2025. United Nations projections are also included through the year 2100.

Until 2100, the world's population is expected to be ageing. Whereas people over 60 years made up less than 13 percent of the world's population in 2024, this share is estimated to reach 28.8 percent in 2100. On the other hand, the share of people between zero and 14 years was expected to decrease by almost ten percentage points over the same period.

The West Africa Coastal Vulnerability Mapping: Population Projections, 2030 and 2050 data set is based on an unreleased working version of the Gridded Population of the World (GPW), Version 4, year 2010 population count raster but at a coarser 5 arc-minute resolution. Bryan Jones of Baruch College produced country-level projections based on the Shared Socioeconomic Pathway 4 (SSP4). SSP4 reflects a divided world where cities that have relatively high standards of living, are attractive to internal and international migrants. In low income countries, rapidly growing rural populations live on shrinking areas of arable land due to both high population pressure and expansion of large-scale mechanized farming by international agricultural firms. This pressure induces large migration flow to the cities, contributing to fast urbanization, although urban areas do not provide many opportUnities for the poor and there is a massive expansion of slums and squatter settlements. This scenario may not be the most likely for the West Africa region, but it has internal coherence and is at least plausible.

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.

United States US: Population Projection: Mid Year: Growth data was reported at 0.450 % in 2050. This stayed constant from the previous number of 0.450 % for 2049. United States US: Population Projection: Mid Year: Growth data is updated yearly, averaging 0.700 % from Jun 2001 (Median) to 2050, with 50 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 0.980 % in 2006 and a record low of 0.450 % in 2050. United States US: Population Projection: Mid Year: Growth data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by US Census Bureau. The data is categorized under Global Database’s USA – Table US.US Census Bureau: Demographic Projection.

Mexico MX: Population Projection: Mid Year data was reported at 150,567,503.000 Person in 2050. This records an increase from the previous number of 150,471,915.000 Person for 2049. Mexico MX: Population Projection: Mid Year data is updated yearly, averaging 99,775,434.000 Person from Jun 1950 (Median) to 2050, with 101 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 150,567,503.000 Person in 2050 and a record low of 28,485,180.000 Person in 1950. Mexico MX: Population Projection: Mid Year data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by US Census Bureau. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Mexico – Table MX.US Census Bureau: Demographic Projection.

Taiwan TW: UCB Projection: Population: Mid Year: Growth data was reported at -0.940 % in 2050. This records a decrease from the previous number of -0.910 % for 2049. Taiwan TW: UCB Projection: Population: Mid Year: Growth data is updated yearly, averaging 0.100 % from Jun 1990 (Median) to 2050, with 61 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1.140 % in 1990 and a record low of -0.940 % in 2050. Taiwan TW: UCB Projection: Population: Mid Year: Growth data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by US Census Bureau. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Taiwan – Table TW.US Census Bureau: Demographic Projection.

Projection of total population 2020-2050 Territorial entities: arrondissements (Wallonie), départements (Lorraine), Grand-Duché (Luxembourg), Kreise (Saarland, Rheinland-Pfalz) Statistical data sources: INSEE, Statec, Statbel-DEMOBEL, Statistisches Landesamt Rheinland-Pfalz, Statistisches Amt Saarland / Destatis. Calculations: OIE/IBA 2020 Geodata sources: ACT Luxembourg 2017, IGN France 2017, GeoBasis-DE / BKG 2017, NGI-Belgium 2017. Harmonization: SIG-GR / GIS-GR 2020

Kazakhstan KZ: Population Projection: Mid Year: Growth data was reported at 0.260 % in 2050. This records a decrease from the previous number of 0.290 % for 2049. Kazakhstan KZ: Population Projection: Mid Year: Growth data is updated yearly, averaging 0.505 % from Jun 1989 (Median) to 2050, with 62 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1.320 % in 2009 and a record low of -2.170 % in 1994. Kazakhstan KZ: Population Projection: Mid Year: Growth data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by US Census Bureau. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Kazakhstan – Table KZ.US Census Bureau: Demographic Projection.

Nigeria NG: Population Projection: Mid Year data was reported at 416,996,080.000 Person in 2050. This records an increase from the previous number of 409,470,192.000 Person for 2049. Nigeria NG: Population Projection: Mid Year data is updated yearly, averaging 125,580,732.000 Person from Jun 1950 (Median) to 2050, with 101 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 416,996,080.000 Person in 2050 and a record low of 31,796,939.000 Person in 1950. Nigeria NG: Population Projection: Mid Year data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by US Census Bureau. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Nigeria – Table NG.US Census Bureau: Demographic Projection.

India Population Projection: Single Year data was reported at 1,667,873,933.000 Person in 2050. This records an increase from the previous number of 1,658,330,351.000 Person for 2049. India Population Projection: Single Year data is updated yearly, averaging 1,394,461,787.000 Person from Mar 2001 (Median) to 2050, with 50 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1,667,873,933.000 Person in 2050 and a record low of 1,019,001,911.000 Person in 2001. India Population Projection: Single Year data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by CEIC Data. The data is categorized under India Premium Database’s Demographic – Table IN.GAI001: Population Projection: Single Year.

This is a hybrid gridded dataset of demographic data for the world, given as 5-year population bands at a 0.5 degree grid resolution.

This dataset combines the NASA SEDAC Gridded Population of the World version 4 (GPWv4) with the ISIMIP Histsoc gridded population data and the United Nations World Population Program (WPP) demographic modelling data.

Demographic fractions are given for the time period covered by the UN WPP model (1950-2050) while demographic totals are given for the time period covered by the combination of GPWv4 and Histsoc (1950-2020)

Method - demographic fractions

Demographic breakdown of country population by grid cell is calculated by combining the GPWv4 demographic data given for 2010 with the yearly country breakdowns from the UN WPP. This combines the spatial distribution of demographics from GPWv4 with the temporal trends from the UN WPP. This makes it possible to calculate exposure trends from 1980 to the present day.

To combine the UN WPP demographics with the GPWv4 demographics, we calculate for each country the proportional change in fraction of demographic in each age band relative to 2010 as:

\(\delta_{year,\ country,age}^{\text{wpp}} = f_{year,\ country,age}^{\text{wpp}}/f_{2010,country,age}^{\text{wpp}}\)

Where:

- \(\delta_{year,\ country,age}^{\text{wpp}}\) is the ratio of change in demographic for a given age and and country from the UN WPP dataset.

- \(f_{year,\ country,age}^{\text{wpp}}\) is the fraction of population in the UN WPP dataset for a given age band, country, and year.

- \(f_{2010,country,age}^{\text{wpp}}\) is the fraction of population in the UN WPP dataset for a given age band, country for the year 2020.

The gridded demographic fraction is then calculated relative to the 2010 demographic data given by GPWv4.

For each subset of cells corresponding to a given country c, the fraction of population in a given age band is calculated as:

\(f_{year,c,age}^{\text{gpw}} = \delta_{year,\ country,age}^{\text{wpp}}*f_{2010,c,\text{age}}^{\text{gpw}}\)

Where:

- \(f_{year,c,age}^{\text{gpw}}\) is the fraction of the population in a given age band for given year, for the grid cell c.

- \(f_{2010,c,age}^{\text{gpw}}\) is the fraction of the population in a given age band for 2010, for the grid cell c.

The matching between grid cells and country codes is performed using the GPWv4 gridded country code lookup data and country name lookup table. The final dataset is assembled by combining the cells from all countries into a single gridded time series. This time series covers the whole period from 1950-2050, corresponding to the data available in the UN WPP model.

Method - demographic totals

Total population data from 1950 to 1999 is drawn from ISIMIP Histsoc, while data from 2000-2020 is drawn from GPWv4. These two gridded time series are simply joined at the cut-over date to give a single dataset covering 1950-2020.

The total population per age band per cell is calculated by multiplying the population fractions by the population totals per grid cell.

Note that as the total population data only covers until 2020, the time span covered by the demographic population totals data is 1950-2020 (not 1950-2050).

Disclaimer

This dataset is a hybrid of different datasets with independent methodologies. No guarantees are made about the spatial or temporal consistency across dataset boundaries. The dataset may contain outlier points (e.g single cells with demographic fractions >1). This dataset is produced on a 'best effort' basis and has been found to be broadly consistent with other approaches, but may contain inconsistencies which not been identified.

Graph and download economic data for Population Growth for the Arab World (SPPOPGROWARB) from 1961 to 2023 about Arab World, population, and rate.

Africa is estimated to be the habitat of 26.2 percent of the total global population by the year 2050. In 2023, Africa contributed to 18.2 percent of the world population.

Content

The United States Census Bureau’s International Dataset provides estimates of country populations since 1950 and projections through 2050. Specifically, the data set includes midyear population figures broken down by age and gender assignment at birth. Additionally, they provide time-series data for attributes including fertility rates, birth rates, death rates, and migration rates.

The full documentation is available here. For basic field details, please see the data dictionary.

Note: The U.S. Census Bureau provides estimates and projections for countries and areas that are recognized by the U.S. Department of State that have a population of at least 5,000.

Acknowledgements

This dataset was created by the United States Census Bureau.

Inspiration

Which countries have made the largest improvements in life expectancy? Based on current trends, how long will it take each country to catch up to today’s best performers?

Use this dataset with BigQuery

You can use Kernels to analyze, share, and discuss this data on Kaggle, but if you’re looking for real-time updates and bigger data, check out the data on BigQuery, too: https://cloud.google.com/bigquery/public-data/international-census.

This data package includes nine population proximity index layers for 2005, 2030 and 2050, for rural, urban and total populations. The layers are distributed as 1km GeoTIFFs and GeoJPGss at 1km. The aim of these layers is to describe the population which may be likely to visit a specific locality where access is determined by Euclidean distance. By using the layers alongside other geographic datasets relating to disease risk it may help identify where people may come into contact with a disease. Human population layers are often used in models to identify risk areas where humans and viruses interact, however most pathogens are not restricted to areas of human habitation: many are found in lesser populated areas such as forests. This dataset will help identify less populated areas that may well still receive high visitor numbers. The layers have been projected to 2030 and 2050 to enable projections of human/disease interfaces in the medium-term which are required to inform policy makers at country and continental level. Urban and rural populations have been separated into individual layers as in some cases it is useful to distinguish between the behaviour and associated risks attributed to the different population segments. There may be a different risk of contacting diseases in rural habitats for rural workers than for than urban visitors.