In 2025, India overtook China as the world's most populous country and now has almost 1.46 billion people. China now has the second-largest population in the world, still with just over 1.4 billion inhabitants, however, its population went into decline in 2023. Global population As of 2025, the world's population stands at almost 8.2 billion people and is expected to reach around 10.3 billion people in the 2080s, when it will then go into decline. Due to improved healthcare, sanitation, and general living conditions, the global population continues to increase; mortality rates (particularly among infants and children) are decreasing and the median age of the world population has steadily increased for decades. As for the average life expectancy in industrial and developing countries, the gap has narrowed significantly since the mid-20th century. Asia is the most populous continent on Earth; 11 of the 20 largest countries are located there. It leads the ranking of the global population by continent by far, reporting four times as many inhabitants as Africa. The Demographic Transition The population explosion over the past two centuries is part of a phenomenon known as the demographic transition. Simply put, this transition results from a drastic reduction in mortality, which then leads to a reduction in fertility, and increase in life expectancy; this interim period where death rates are low and birth rates are high is where this population explosion occurs, and population growth can remain high as the population ages. In today's most-developed countries, the transition generally began with industrialization in the 1800s, and growth has now stabilized as birth and mortality rates have re-balanced. Across less-developed countries, the stage of this transition varies; for example, China is at a later stage than India, which accounts for the change in which country is more populous - understanding the demographic transition can help understand the reason why China's population is now going into decline. The least-developed region is Sub-Saharan Africa, where fertility rates remain close to pre-industrial levels in some countries. As these countries transition, they will undergo significant rates of population growth.

Population, female (% of total population) in World was reported at 49.72 % in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. World - Population, female (% of total) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on September of 2025.

Historical dataset showing total population for the world by year from 1950 to 2025.

Globally, about 25 percent of the population is under 15 years of age and 10 percent is over 65 years of age. Africa has the youngest population worldwide. In Sub-Saharan Africa, more than 40 percent of the population is below 15 years, and only three percent are above 65, indicating the low life expectancy in several of the countries. In Europe, on the other hand, a higher share of the population is above 65 years than the population under 15 years. Fertility rates The high share of children and youth in Africa is connected to the high fertility rates on the continent. For instance, South Sudan and Niger have the highest population growth rates globally. However, about 50 percent of the world’s population live in countries with low fertility, where women have less than 2.1 children. Some countries in Europe, like Latvia and Lithuania, have experienced a population decline of one percent, and in the Cook Islands, it is even above two percent. In Europe, the majority of the population was previously working-aged adults with few dependents, but this trend is expected to reverse soon, and it is predicted that by 2050, the older population will outnumber the young in many developed countries. Growing global population As of 2025, there are 8.1 billion people living on the planet, and this is expected to reach more than nine billion before 2040. Moreover, the global population is expected to reach 10 billions around 2060, before slowing and then even falling slightly by 2100. As the population growth rates indicate, a significant share of the population increase will happen in Africa.

Population, male in World was reported at 4093749402 Persons in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. World - Population, male - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on October of 2025.

Population, male (% of total population) in World was reported at 50.28 % in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. World - Population, male (% of total) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on October of 2025.

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.

Population growth (annual %) in World was reported at 0.9512 % in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. World - Population growth (annual %) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on October of 2025.

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.

The population rating shows how many people currently live in a particular country. This rating helps not only to compare countries by the number of inhabitants and population density, but also to predict the further dynamics of growth, stagnation and population decline.

As of 2025, Asia was the most densely populated region of the world, with nearly 156 inhabitants per square kilometer, whereas Oceania's population density was just over five inhabitants per square kilometer.

Population ages 0-14, male in World was reported at 1035685246 Persons in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. World - Population, ages 0-14, male - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on October of 2025.

The total population of the G7 countries made up less than *** percent of the world's total population as of 2025. Moreover, it has been decreasing since 2000, which is mainly because the population of other countries such as India and China has been growing during the same period. Despite this, they make up around ** percent of the world's GDP.

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.

In 2013, the total number of women aged 15 to 49 years worldwide was *** billion. In 2017 it was estimated that this number would increase to almost ****billion by 2025. The U.S. accounted for a small proportion of the total number of women globally in 2013 with just **** million. Global demographics In 2024, the total global population at approximately **** billion people. In 2024, the continent with the largest proportion of the global population was Asia, followed by Africa. While North America and Oceania were some of the least populated areas of the world. The age distribution of the population varies by region as well. For example, the percentage of the global population between the ages of 15 and 64 years varies between ** percent and ** percent. Women’s health worldwide Women face different health challenges depending on the region and country. One important global health issue is maternal mortality. The country with the highest maternal mortality rate in 2023 was Nigeria. Chad had the seventh-highest estimated birth rate in 2024 and was the country with the second-highest maternal mortality rate. The United States has one of the highest maternal mortality rates when compared to similarly developed countries.

Urban population in World was reported at 4697122232 in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. World - Urban population - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on October of 2025.

As of 2025, Tokyo-Yokohama in Japan was the largest world urban agglomeration, with 37 million people living there. Delhi ranked second with more than 34 million, with Shanghai in third with more than 30 million inhabitants.

Population ages 15-64, total in World was reported at 5298282443 Persons in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. World - Population ages 15-64, total - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on October of 2025.

Population ages 25-29, male (% of male population) in World was reported at 7.5306 % in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. World - Population ages 25-29, male (% of male population) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on October of 2025.

Rural population (% of total population) in World was reported at 42.3 % in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. World - Rural population - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on September of 2025.