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Animation: The Global Population Over 300 Years, by Country
Since the 1800s, our global population has grown from 984 million people to almost 8 billion—an increase of more than 700%.
Which regions around the world have led this growth, and what’s expected for the rest of the century? This animated visualization by James Eagle shows 300 years of population growth, including historical figures as well as projections up to the year 2100.
Asia’s Current Dominance
For centuries, more than half of the world’s population has been concentrated in Asia. At certain points throughout history, the region has made up nearly 70% of the world’s population.
Here’s a look at 2021 figures, and how large each region’s population is relative to each other:
| Rank | Region | % of Global Population (2021) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Asia | 59.2% |
| 2 | Africa | 17.9% |
| 3 | Europe | 9.3% |
| 4 | North America | 7.5% |
| 5 | South America | 5.5% |
| 6 | Oceania | 0.6% |
China and India have been Asia’s largest population hubs, with China historically leading the front. In the 1950s China’s population was nearly double the size of India’s, but the gap has fluctuated over the years.
As China’s population growth continued, it was causing problems for the country as it struggled to scale up food production and infrastructure. By 1979, the Chinese government rolled out a one-child policy in an attempt to control the situation.
The program, which ended in 2016, had a number of unintended ramifications, but ultimately, it did succeed in slowing down the country’s population growth. And now, India is projected to overtake China as the world’s most populous country as early as 2023.
Africa’s Growing Piece of the Pie
Although Asia dominates the charts when it comes to overall population numbers currently, Africa’s growing population numbers are often overlooked.
While the continent’s total population is smaller than Asia’s, it will soon be home to the world’s largest working-age population, which could have a significant impact on the global economy in the years ahead.
This growth is being led by Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country. With megacities like Lagos (metro population: 21 million) and over 217 million inhabitants in total, Nigeria is projected to be the world’s third most populous country by the year 2050. Nigeria’s rapid growth is largely thanks to its high birth rate, which is nearly double the global average.
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