According to latest figures, the Chinese population decreased by 1.39 million to around 1.408 billion people in 2024. After decades of rapid growth, China arrived at the turning point of its demographic development in 2022, which was earlier than expected. The annual population decrease is estimated to remain at moderate levels until around 2030 but to accelerate thereafter. Population development in China China had for a long time been the country with the largest population worldwide, but according to UN estimates, it has been overtaken by India in 2023. As the population in India is still growing, the country is very likely to remain being home of the largest population on earth in the near future. Due to several mechanisms put into place by the Chinese government as well as changing circumstances in the working and social environment of the Chinese people, population growth has subsided over the past decades, displaying an annual population growth rate of -0.1 percent in 2024. Nevertheless, compared to the world population in total, China held a share of about 18 percent of the overall global population in 2022. China's aging population In terms of demographic developments, the birth control efforts of the Chinese government had considerable effects on the demographic pyramid in China. Upon closer examination of the age distribution, a clear trend of an aging population becomes visible. In order to curb the negative effects of an aging population, the Chinese government abolished the one-child policy in 2015, which had been in effect since 1979, and introduced a three-child policy in May 2021. However, many Chinese parents nowadays are reluctant to have a second or third child, as is the case in most of the developed countries in the world. The number of births in China varied in the years following the abolishment of the one-child policy, but did not increase considerably. Among the reasons most prominent for parents not having more children are the rising living costs and costs for child care, growing work pressure, a growing trend towards self-realization and individualism, and changing social behaviors.

Among the 19 G20 countries, India had the largest population in October 2024, overtaking China as the most populous country in the world in 2023. Both countries had an estimated population of 1.4 billion people. The number of inhabitants in India is expected to be over 1.5 billion people in 2029, higher than in China at 1.4 billion.

In 2023, it is estimated that the BRICS countries have a combined population of 3.25 billion people, which is over 40 percent of the world population. The majority of these people live in either China or India, which have a population of more than 1.4 billion people each, while the other three countries have a combined population of just under 420 million. Comparisons Although the BRICS countries are considered the five foremost emerging economies, they are all at various stages of the demographic transition and have different levels of population development. For all of modern history, China has had the world's largest population, but rapidly dropping fertility and birth rates in recent decades mean that its population growth has slowed. In contrast, India's population growth remains much higher, and it is expected to overtake China in the next few years to become the world's most populous country. The fastest growing population in the BRICS bloc, however, is that of South Africa, which is at the earliest stage of demographic development. Russia, is the only BRICS country whose population is currently in decline, and it has been experiencing a consistent natural decline for most of the past three decades. Growing populations = growing opportunities Between 2000 and 2026, the populations of the BRICS countries is expected to grow by 625 million people, and the majority of this will be in India and China. As the economies of these two countries grow, so too do living standards and disposable income; this has resulted in the world's two most populous countries emerging as two of the most profitable markets in the world. China, sometimes called the "world's factory" has seen a rapid growth in its middle class, increased potential of its low-tier market, and its manufacturing sector is now transitioning to the production of more technologically advanced and high-end goods to meet its domestic demand.

The statistic shows the total population of India from 2019 to 2029. In 2023, the estimated total population in India amounted to approximately 1.43 billion people.

Total population in India

India currently has the second-largest population in the world and is projected to overtake top-ranking China within forty years. Its residents comprise more than one-seventh of the entire world’s population, and despite a slowly decreasing fertility rate (which still exceeds the replacement rate and keeps the median age of the population relatively low), an increasing life expectancy adds to an expanding population. In comparison with other countries whose populations are decreasing, such as Japan, India has a relatively small share of aged population, which indicates the probability of lower death rates and higher retention of the existing population.

With a land mass of less than half that of the United States and a population almost four times greater, India has recognized potential problems of its growing population. Government attempts to implement family planning programs have achieved varying degrees of success. Initiatives such as sterilization programs in the 1970s have been blamed for creating general antipathy to family planning, but the combined efforts of various family planning and contraception programs have helped halve fertility rates since the 1960s. The population growth rate has correspondingly shrunk as well, but has not yet reached less than one percent growth per year.

As home to thousands of ethnic groups, hundreds of languages, and numerous religions, a cohesive and broadly-supported effort to reduce population growth is difficult to create. Despite that, India is one country to watch in coming years. It is also a growing economic power; among other measures, its GDP per capita was expected to triple between 2003 and 2013 and was listed as the third-ranked country for its share of the global gross domestic product.

In 2022, the total population of all ASEAN states amounted to an estimated 673.02 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 South

Indonesia 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.

The graph shows per capita gross domestic product (GDP) in China until 2023, with forecasts until 2029. In 2023, per capita GDP reached around 12,600 U.S. dollars in China. That year, the overall GDP of China had amounted to 17.8 trillion U.S. dollars. Per capita GDP in China Gross domestic product is a commonly-used economic indicator for measuring the state of a country's economy. GDP is the total market value of goods and services produced in a country within a given period of time, usually a year. Per capita GDP is defined as the GDP divided by the total number of people in the country. This indicator is generally used to compare the economic prosperity of countries with varying population sizes.In 2010, China overtook Japan and became the world’s second-largest economy. As of 2023, it was the largest exporter and the second largest importer in the world. However, one reason behind its economic strength lies within its population size. China has to distribute its wealth among 1.4 billion people. By 2023, China's per capita GDP was only about one fourth as large as that of main industrialized countries. When compared to other emerging markets, China ranked second among BRIC countries in terms of GDP per capita. Future development According to projections by the IMF, per capita GDP in China will escalate from around 12,600 U.S. dollars in 2022 to 17,700 U.S. dollars in 2029. Major reasons for this are comparatively high economic growth rates combined with negative population growth. China's economic structure is also undergoing changes. A major trend lies in the shift from an industry-based to a service-based economy.

The statistic shows the total population in the United States from 2015 to 2021, with projections up until 2027. In 2021, the total population of the U.S. amounted to approximately 332.18 million inhabitants.

The United States' economy over the last decade

The United States of America is the world’s largest national economy and the second most prominent trader globally, trailing just behind China. The country is also one of the most populated countries in the world, trailing only China and India. The United States' economy prospers primarily due to having a plentiful amount of natural resources and advanced infrastructure to cope with the production of goods and services, as well as the population and workforce to enable high productivity. Efficient productivity led to a slight growth in GDP almost every year over the past decade, despite undergoing several economic hardships towards the late 2000's.

In addition, the United States holds arguably one of the most important financial markets, with the majority of countries around the world having commercial connections with American companies. Dependency on a single market like the United States has however caused several global dilemmas, most evidently seen during the 2008 financial crisis. What initially started off as a bursting of the U.S. housing bubble lead to a worldwide recession and the necessity to reform national economics. The global financial crisis affected the United States most drastically, especially within the unemployment market as well as national debt, which continued to rise due to the United States having to borrow money in order to stimulate its economy.

In 2021, the BRICS countries with the highest estimated GDP per capita were Russia and China, with between 12,000 and 13,000 U.S. dollars per person. Brazil and South Africa's GDP per capita are thought to be closer to the 7,000 mark, while India's GDP per capita is just over 2,000 U.S. dollars. This a significant contrast to figures for overall GDP, where China has the largest economy by a significant margin, while India's is the second largest. The reason for this disparity is due to population size. For example, both China's population and overall GDP are roughly 10 times larger than those of Russia, which results in them having a comparable GDP per capita. Additionally, India's population is 23 times larger than South Africa's, but it's GDP is just seven times larger; this results in South Africa having a higher GDP per capita than India, despite it being the smallest of the BRICS economies.

As of 2024, there were 449 data centers in China, the most of any country or territory in the Asia-Pacific region. China had the fourth-highest number of data centers worldwide as of March 2024. Data centers in China As the leading market in public cloud in the Asia-Pacific region and an aspiring global leader in artificial intelligence, China has placed considerable weight on data center infrastructure, which underlies most of the advances in internet technology. The country dominates the global data center market in terms of revenue, trailing only the United States. In addition, China accounted for 15 percent of the worldwide hyperscale data center capacity in the 2nd quarter of 2022. The data center segment revenue in China is expected to have an annual growth rate of around nine percent between 2024 and 2029. The outlook of data centers in the Asia-Pacific region The pandemic has accelerated enterprise digitalization across the Asia-Pacific region, driving a surge in demand for computational power. This trend, coupled with advancements in artificial intelligence and the region's significant population growth, points to a promising future for data centers in the region. For instance, the revenue in the data center market in India was forecast to grow further and is set to reach about 11.85 billion U.S. dollars by 2029. Meanwhile, economic growth and increasing internet penetration rates in Southeast Asian countries have been the primary drivers for data center demand growth in the subregion.

The statistic shows the gross domestic product (GDP) per capita in the United States from 1987 to 2023, with projections up until 2029. In 2023, the gross domestic product per capita in the United States amounted to around 81,632.25 U.S. dollars. Thus, the United States is one of the countries with the largest GDP per capita worldwide. See the U.S. GDP growth rate here and the US GDP for further information. For comparison, per capita GDP in China had reached about 5,553 U.S. dollars in 2011.

Gross domestic product of the United States

The gross domestic product (GDP) of a country is an economic key figure, as it represents the market value of goods and services produced in a country within one year. The United States’ GDP) is increasing consistently, and it is expected to continue growing. On a global scale, the U.S. share of GDP adjusted for Purchasing Power Parity has been in the range of 20 percent over the last few years, give or take a few percentage points. The United States has the largest GDP worldwide, with a significant lead over China, Japan and Germany. Gross domestic product per capita is annual GDP divided by the average population from the same year, which allows for a GDP calculation per inhabitant of a country. Thus, a country with a high GDP, like the United States, can still have a low GDP per capita. Consequently, if compared to other countries, the United States does not rank among the top ten on this list .

In 2023, the United States accounted for 15.56 percent of global gross domestic product (GDP) after adjusting for purchasing power parity (PPP). This share was expected to decrease to 14.72 percent by 2029, which is roughly a seventh of the global total. What is PPP? The easiest way to understand purchasing power parity is the Big Mac Index, a measure developed by The Economist. The index tracks the price of the McDonald’s Big Mac burger, sold at each of its thousands of restaurants worldwide. Countries where the Big Mac is most expensive have higher purchasing power, meaning one can buy more for each unit of that currency. To calculate PPP, economists use a group of goods to calculate the ratio of the price of this group in each country. This ratio is then used to convert all countries into a standardized price level, on parity with each other. Why use PPP? A U.S. dollar in the United States does not have the same purchasing power as a dollar in China, even after considering the exchange rate. For this reason, adjusting for PPP gives an idea of what the rest of the world could buy in the United States, if prices were the same as in their home country. However, some economists argue that using PPP for comparisons between countries is inaccurate because it changes the price level differently for each country. Still, because it accounts not only for country-specific effects but also inflation and exchange rate fluctuations, PPP is a very popular metric.

The statistic shows gross domestic product (GDP) in Brazil from 1987 to 2023, with projections up until 2029. Gross domestic product denotes the aggregate value of all services and goods produced within a country in any given year. GDP is an important indicator of a country's economic power. In 2022, Brazil's gross domestic product amounted to around 1.95 trillion U.S. dollars. In comparison to the GDP of the other BRIC countries India, Russia and China, Brazil was ranked third that year.

Brazil's national finances

Brazil is one of the fastest growing economies in the world and the largest amongst all Latin American countries. Brazil is also a member of multiple economic organizations such as the G20 as well as one of the four countries in the BRIC economies, which consist of Brazil, Russia, India and China. Despite having one of the lower populations out of the four countries, Brazil maintained a relatively stable dollar value of all goods and services produced within the country in comparison to India, for example. This indicates that unemployment is low and in general business demand within the country has become relatively high.

Spending within the country has been relatively high, however is considered to be normal, especially for developing countries. It is expected that developing economies have a budget deficit of roughly 3 percent, primarily because spending is needed in order to fuel an economy at most times. However, most Brazilians still have faith in their country’s economic future and still believe that their own personal financial situation will improve along with the country’s economic position in the world.

The statistic shows the growth of the real gross domestic product (GDP) in India from 2019 to 2024, with projections up until 2029. GDP refers to the total market value of all goods and services that are produced within a country per year. It is an important indicator of the economic strength of a country. Real GDP is adjusted for price changes and is therefore regarded as a key indicator for economic growth. In 2024, India's real gross domestic product growth was at about 7.02 percent compared to the previous year. Gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate in India Recent years have witnessed a shift of economic power and attention to the strengthening economies of the BRIC countries: Brazil, Russia, India, and China. The growth rate of gross domestic product in the BRIC countries is overwhelmingly larger than in traditionally strong economies, such as the United States and Germany. While the United States can claim the title of the largest economy in the world by almost any measure, China nabs the second-largest share of global GDP, with India racing Japan for third-largest position. Despite the world-wide recession in 2008 and 2009, India still managed to record impressive GDP growth rates, especially when most of the world recorded negative growth in at least one of those years. Part of the reason for India’s success is the economic liberalization that started in 1991and encouraged trade subsequently ending some public monopolies. GDP growth has slowed in recent years, due in part to skyrocketing inflation. India’s workforce is expanding in the industry and services sectors, growing partially because of international outsourcing — a profitable venture for the Indian economy. The agriculture sector in India is still a global power, producing more wheat or tea than anyone in the world except for China. However, with the mechanization of a lot of processes and the rapidly growing population, India’s unemployment rate remains relatively high.

The statistic depicts Australia's gross domestic product (GDP) from 1987 to 2023, with projections up until 2029. In 2023, GDP in Australia amounted to about 1.74 trillion US dollars. See global GDP for a global comparison.

Australia’s economy and population

Australia’s gross domestic product has been growing steadily, and all in all, Australia and its economic key factors show a well-set country. Australia is among the countries with the largest gross domestic product / GDP worldwide, and thus one of the largest economies. It was one of the few countries not severely stricken by the 2008 financial crisis; its unemployment rate, inflation rate and trade balance, for example, were hardly affected at all. In fact, the trade balance of Australia – a country’s exports minus its imports – has been higher than ever since 2010, with a slight dip in 2012. Australia mainly exports wine and agricultural products to countries like China, Japan or South Korea. One of Australia’s largest industries is tourism, which contributes a significant share to its gross domestic product. Almost half of approximately 23 million Australian residents are employed nowadays, life expectancy is increasing, and the fertility rate (the number of children born per woman) has been quite stable.

A look at the distribution of the world population by continent shows that Australia is ranked last in terms of population and population density. Most of Australia's population lives at the coast in metropolitan areas, since parts of the continent are uninhabitable. Unsurprisingly, Australia is known as a country with very high living standards, four of its biggest cities – Melbourne, Adelaide, Sydney and Perth – are among the most livable cities worldwide.