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.

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.

The annual population growth in the United States increased by 0.1 percentage points (+27.03 percent) in 2023. In total, the population growth amounted to 0.49 percent in 2023. Annual population growth refers to the change in the population over time, and is affected by factors such as fertility, mortality, and migration.Find more key insights for the annual population growth in countries like Mexico and Canada.

The annual population growth in Brazil increased by 0.1 percentage points (+21.74 percent) compared to the previous year. This was the first time during the observed period that the population growth has increased in Brazil. Annual population growth refers to the change in the population over time, and is affected by factors such as fertility, mortality, and migration.Find more statistics on other topics about Brazil with key insights such as share of urban population in the total population.

In 2023, the annual population growth in Pakistan increased by 0.1 percentage points (+5.29 percent) compared to 2022. With 1.96 percent, the population growth thereby reached its highest value in the observed period. Population growth deals with the annual change in total population, and is affected by factors such as fertility, mortality, and migration.Find more key insights for the annual population growth in countries like Sri Lanka and Nepal.

The world population surpassed eight billion people in 2022, having doubled from its figure less than 50 years previously. Looking forward, it is projected that the world population will reach nine billion in 2038, and 10 billion in 2060, but it will peak around 10.3 billion in the 2080s before it then goes into decline. Regional variations The global population has seen rapid growth since the early 1800s, due to advances in areas such as food production, healthcare, water safety, education, and infrastructure, however, these changes did not occur at a uniform time or pace across the world. Broadly speaking, the first regions to undergo their demographic transitions were Europe, North America, and Oceania, followed by Latin America and Asia (although Asia's development saw the greatest variation due to its size), while Africa was the last continent to undergo this transformation. Because of these differences, many so-called "advanced" countries are now experiencing population decline, particularly in Europe and East Asia, while the fastest population growth rates are found in Sub-Saharan Africa. In fact, the roughly two billion difference in population between now and the 2080s' peak will be found in Sub-Saharan Africa, which will rise from 1.2 billion to 3.2 billion in this time (although populations in other continents will also fluctuate). Changing projections The United Nations releases their World Population Prospects report every 1-2 years, and this is widely considered the foremost demographic dataset in the world. However, recent years have seen a notable decline in projections when the global population will peak, and at what number. Previous reports in the 2010s had suggested a peak of over 11 billion people, and that population growth would continue into the 2100s, however a sooner and shorter peak is now projected. Reasons for this include a more rapid population decline in East Asia and Europe, particularly China, as well as a prolongued development arc in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The annual population growth in Algeria decreased by 0.1 percentage points (-6.13 percent) in 2023 in comparison to the previous year. This marks the lowest population growth during the observed period. Annual population growth refers to the change in the population over time, and is affected by factors such as fertility, mortality, and migration.Find more key insights for the annual population growth in countries like Sudan and Tunisia.

The annual population growth in South Korea increased by 0.3 percentage points compared to the previous year. The year 2023 therefore marks a significant change in the population growth compared to the previous year. Annual population growth refers to the change in the population over time, and is affected by factors such as fertility, mortality, and migration.Find more key insights for the annual population growth in countries like Japan and Hong Kong.

In 2023, the annual population growth in Indonesia increased by 0.1 percentage points (+15.62 percent) compared to 2022. This was the first time during the observed period that the population growth has increased in Indonesia. Population growth deals with the annual change in total population, and is affected by factors such as fertility, mortality, and migration.Find more key insights for the annual population growth in countries like Myanmar and Malaysia.

The annual population growth in France decreased by 0.02 percentage points (-6.45 percent) compared to the previous year. Nevertheless, the last two years recorded a significantly higher population growth than the preceding years.Population growth refers to the annual change in population, and is based on the balance between birth and death rates, as well as migration.Find more key insights for the annual population growth in countries like Luxembourg and Monaco.

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 2023, the annual population growth in Finland increased by 0.2 percentage points (+74.07 percent) compared to 2022. With 0.51 percent, the population growth thereby reached its highest value in the observed period. Annual population growth refers to the change in the population over time, and is affected by factors such as fertility, mortality, and migration.Find more key insights for the annual population growth in countries like Sweden and Faroe Islands.

The annual population growth in Haiti saw no significant changes in 2023 in comparison to the previous year 2022 and remained at around 1.2 percent. Nevertheless, this was the first time during the observed period that the population growth increased in Haiti. Annual population growth refers to the change in the population over time, and is affected by factors such as fertility, mortality, and migration.Find more key insights for the annual population growth in countries like Jamaica and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

In 2023, the population of Africa was projected to grow by 2.34 percent compared to the previous year. The population growth rate on the continent has been constantly over 2.3 percent from 2000 onwards, and it peaked at 2.59 percent between 2012 and 2013. Despite a slowdown in the growth rate, the continent's population will continue to increase significantly in the coming years. The second-largest population worldwide In 2022, the total population of Africa amounted to around 1.4 billion. The number of inhabitants had grown steadily in the previous decades, rising from approximately 810 million in 2000. Driven by a decreasing mortality rate and a higher life expectancy at birth, the African population was forecast to increase to about 2.5 billion individuals by 2050. Africa is currently the second most populous continent worldwide after Asia. However, forecasts showed that Africa could gradually close the gap and almost reach the size of the Asian population in 2100. By that year, Africa might count 3.9 billion people, compared to 4.7 billion in Asia. The world's youngest continent The median age in Africa corresponded to 18.8 years in 2023. Although the median age has increased in recent years, the continent remains the youngest worldwide. In 2023, roughly 40 percent of the African population was aged 15 years and younger, compared to a global average of 25 percent. Africa recorded not only the highest share of youth but also the smallest elderly population worldwide. As of the same year, only three percent of Africa's population was aged 65 years and older. Africa and Latin America were the only regions below the global average of 10 percent. On the continent, Niger, Uganda, and Angola were the countries with the youngest population in 2023.

The annual population growth in Saudi Arabia increased by 0.2 percentage points (+15.75 percent) in 2023. In total, the population growth amounted to 1.47 percent in 2023. Nevertheless, the last two years recorded a significantly lower population growth than the preceding years.Annual population growth refers to the change in the population over time, and is affected by factors such as fertility, mortality, and migration.Find more key insights for the annual population growth in countries like Bahrain and Lebanon.

In 2023, the annual population growth in Oman increased by 0.3 percentage points (+24.39 percent) compared to 2022. In total, the population growth amounted to 1.48 percent in 2023. Nevertheless, the last two years recorded a significantly lower population growth than the preceding years.Annual population growth refers to the change in the population over time, and is affected by factors such as fertility, mortality, and migration.Find more key insights for the annual population growth in countries like Kuwait and Yemen.

The annual population growth in Mauritius increased by 0.2 percentage points compared to the previous year. The year therefore marks a significant change in the population growth compared to the previous year. Nevertheless, the last two years recorded a significantly lower population growth than the preceding years.Population growth deals with the annual change in total population, and is affected by factors such as fertility, mortality, and migration.Find more key insights for the annual population growth in countries like Eritrea and Ethiopia.

The graph shows the population growth in China from 2000 to 2024. In 2024, the Chinese population decreased by about 0.1 percent or 1.39 million to around 1.408 billion people. Declining population growth in China Due to strict birth control measures by the Chinese government as well as changing family and work situations of the Chinese people, population growth has subsided over the past decades. Although the gradual abolition of the one-child policy from 2014 on led to temporarily higher birth figures, growth rates further decreased in recent years. As of 2024, leading countries in population growth could almost exclusively be found on the African continent and the Arabian Peninsula. Nevertheless, as of mid 2024, Asia ranked first by a wide margin among the continents in terms of absolute population. Future development of Chinese population The Chinese population reached a maximum of 1,412.6 million people in 2021 but decreased by 850,000 in 2022 and another 2.08 million in 2023. Until 2022, China had still ranked the world’s most populous country, but it was overtaken by India in 2023. Apart from the population decrease, a clear growth trend in Chinese cities is visible. By 2024, around 67 percent of Chinese people lived in urban areas, compared to merely 36 percent in 2000.

The annual population growth in Thailand increased by 0.02 percentage points (+15.38 percent) in 2023 in comparison to the previous year. This was the first time during the observed period that the population growth has increased in Thailand. Population growth deals with the annual change in total population, and is affected by factors such as fertility, mortality, and migration.Find more key insights for the annual population growth in countries like Indonesia and Cambodia.

In 2023, the annual population growth in Bolivia increased by 0.2 percentage points (+16.81 percent) compared to 2022. This was the first time during the observed period that the population growth has increased in Bolivia. Population growth deals with the annual change in total population, and is affected by factors such as fertility, mortality, and migration.Find more key insights for the annual population growth in countries like Ecuador and Peru.