After a period of rapid growth in the mid-20th century, Brazil’s population growth rate has been steadily declining and will enter a negative phase by 2050. It recently became the continent's largest economy as well.īrazil has long been the population powerhouse of South America. 50% of Nigerians live in urban areas and this is only set to increase as job opportunities continue to be concentrated there.īy 2050, Nigeria could become the third most populous country in the world. Nigeria is one of the most densely populated countries in Africa with the continent’s highest population. Punjab is the most densely populated province and area in Pakistan. It is home to two megacities, Karachi and Lahore, with extensive mountainous rural areas contributing to the extremely urban population distribution.

Pakistan is set to be one of the top ten fastest-growing countries in the coming decade. Indonesia has a relatively young population with a median age of 30 years. Java, the island which is home to the capital Jakarta, is home to 56% of the country’s population and is one of the most densely populated areas in the world. As a result, it is also the most populated island in the world. There is a dramatic population division across Indonesia’s islands. In fact, without the high levels of immigration, the USA’s population would be in decline. In combination with other factors such as a rising middle class, the USA’s population growth has slowed rapidly. California and Texas, the two most populous states, account for about one-quarter of the population.ĭuring this time, the USA’s demographics shifted dramatically following the post-industrial decline of their manufacturing industries. The populace is spread across very densely populated urban areas which are clustered along the east and west coasts. In general, the population density is higher in urban areas like Kolkata.įrom 1950 to 2010, the USA’s population doubled from 151 million to 309 million. In the north, where families are poorer, the fertility rates are still high, high enough to outweigh the falling population in the richer south. There is a significant deviation between the north and south in population growth. This is despite a falling fertility rate and a general shift in attitude amongst Indians to have smaller families. India has been gaining fast on China’s population numbers over the past twenty years and is forecast to overtake them in 2023. As its dependency, Hong Kong would, by itself, rank around 100 in a list of countries.Ī very high population density exists throughout the country, apart from the deserts in the northwest and the mountains in the north.

The majority of the population is located in the eastern half of the country. This legally restricted family to only having one child in an attempt to bring population growth under control. In 1950, China had a population of around 550 million people, meaning that almost 900 million people have been added to that number in 70 years.Ĭhina once saw this rising population as a problem and so they implemented a one-child policy from 1980 to 2015. This table provides figures about the 50 most populous nations in the world, when the current estimated world population is 8.05 billion, as of 2023.Ĭhina is the most populous country in the world. However, as you will see, world population prospects are not so simple and will ultimately be dictated by how individual countries approach the coming global challenges. Different areas of the world have seen population growth at different times according to their level of economic development.įirst, it was Europe in the 18th century, then Asia in the 20th and now it is Africa’s time for a population boom. Population growth has rarely been spread evenly throughout the countries of the world. This pattern has been repeated throughout human history ever since technological development leads to increased capacity for human life, people have more babies and so the population grows. The domestication of food and animals meant that humans had a stable food supply, and could therefore begin supporting greater numbers of people in their settlements.

The global population has been increasing ever since humanity invented agriculture around 10,000 B.C.

Most populous country in the world