Where Populations Are Booming and Shrinking by 2050
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Key Takeaways
- Sub-Saharan Africa is set to drive the majority of global population growth through 2050.
- Several major economies—including China, Japan, and much of Europe—are projected to shrink.
- The Democratic Republic of Congo could nearly double its population, the fastest growth globally.
The world’s population is projected to grow by 1.4 billion people by 2050—but that growth is becoming increasingly concentrated in a handful of regions.
Using data from the United Nations’ World Population Prospects 2024, this map shows where populations are rising fastest—and where they are entering long-term decline. The contrast is stark: parts of sub-Saharan Africa are set to nearly double in size, while several of the world’s largest economies are projected to shrink significantly.
These shifts will reshape labor markets, economic growth, and global influence over the coming decades.
The Fastest-Growing Countries in the World
The most dramatic population increases are concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa, where several countries are on track to nearly double in size by 2050.
The Democratic Republic of Congo leads globally, with its population projected to surge by over 100 million people (+93%). Close behind are countries like Niger, Angola, and Somalia.
The table below shows population forecasts across 195 countries worldwide:
| Rank | Country | Population 2025 (M) | Population 2050 (M) | Change 2025-2050 | % Change 2025-2050 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DR Congo | 112.8 | 218.2 | +105.4M | 93.4% |
| 2 | Central African Republic | 5.5 | 10.6 | +5.1M | 92.6% |
| 3 | Angola | 39 | 74.3 | +35.3M | 90.3% |
| 4 | Somalia | 19.7 | 37.2 | +17.6M | 89.3% |
| 5 | Niger | 27.9 | 52.5 | +24.6M | 88.1% |
| 6 | Chad | 21 | 38.9 | +17.9M | 85.0% |
| 7 | Tanzania | 70.5 | 129.6 | +59.1M | 83.7% |
| 8 | Mali | 25.2 | 46.2 | +21.0M | 83.2% |
| 9 | Mozambique | 35.6 | 63.5 | +27.9M | 78.3% |
| 10 | Mauritania | 5.3 | 9.4 | +4.1M | 77.1% |
| 11 | Afghanistan | 43.8 | 76.9 | +33.0M | 75.4% |
| 12 | Zambia | 21.9 | 38.1 | +16.2M | 73.8% |
| 13 | Cameroon | 29.9 | 51.1 | +21.2M | 71.0% |
| 14 | Cote d'Ivoire | 32.7 | 55.7 | +23.0M | 70.4% |
| 15 | Yemen | 41.8 | 71 | +29.2M | 69.9% |
| 16 | Congo | 6.5 | 11 | +4.5M | 69.7% |
| 17 | Malawi | 22.2 | 37.4 | +15.1M | 68.2% |
| 18 | Burundi | 14.4 | 24.1 | +9.7M | 67.7% |
| 19 | Uganda | 51.4 | 85.4 | +34.0M | 66.3% |
| 20 | Ethiopia | 135.5 | 225 | +89.5M | 66.1% |
| 21 | Sudan | 51.7 | 85.2 | +33.5M | 64.9% |
| 22 | Benin | 14.8 | 24.4 | +9.6M | 64.9% |
| 23 | Madagascar | 32.7 | 53.2 | +20.4M | 62.4% |
| 24 | Equatorial Guinea | 1.9 | 3.1 | +1.2M | 62.2% |
| 25 | Senegal | 18.9 | 30.4 | +11.4M | 60.4% |
| 26 | Togo | 9.7 | 15.6 | +5.9M | 60.3% |
| 27 | Vanuatu | 0.3 | 0.5 | +199K | 59.4% |
| 28 | Eritrea | 3.6 | 5.7 | +2.1M | 57.9% |
| 29 | Gabon | 2.6 | 4.1 | +1.5M | 57.5% |
| 30 | Solomon Islands | 0.8 | 1.3 | +470K | 56.1% |
| 31 | Rwanda | 14.6 | 22.7 | +8.1M | 55.9% |
| 32 | Liberia | 5.7 | 8.9 | +3.2M | 55.5% |
| 33 | Burkina Faso | 24.1 | 37.3 | +13.2M | 55.0% |
| 34 | Guinea | 15.1 | 23.4 | +8.3M | 55.0% |
| 35 | Iraq | 47 | 71.9 | +24.9M | 53.0% |
| 36 | Guinea-Bissau | 2.2 | 3.4 | +1.2M | 52.9% |
| 37 | Zimbabwe | 17 | 25.9 | +8.9M | 52.6% |
| 38 | Gambia | 2.8 | 4.3 | +1.5M | 52.4% |
| 39 | Sao Tome and Principe | 0.2 | 0.4 | +125K | 52.0% |
| 40 | Nigeria | 237.5 | 359.2 | +121.7M | 51.2% |
| 41 | Palestine | 5.6 | 8.5 | +2.9M | 51.2% |
| 42 | South Sudan | 12.2 | 18.3 | +6.2M | 50.5% |
| 43 | Comoros | 0.9 | 1.3 | +425K | 48.1% |
| 44 | Syria | 25.6 | 37.8 | +12.2M | 47.5% |
| 45 | Sierra Leone | 8.8 | 12.9 | +4.1M | 46.8% |
| 46 | Namibia | 3.1 | 4.5 | +1.4M | 45.9% |
| 47 | Pakistan | 255.2 | 371.9 | +116.6M | 45.7% |
| 48 | Kenya | 57.5 | 83.6 | +26.1M | 45.3% |
| 49 | Tajikistan | 10.8 | 15.6 | +4.8M | 44.4% |
| 50 | Ghana | 35.1 | 50.6 | +15.5M | 44.2% |
| 51 | Vatican City | 0.001 | 0.001 | 213 | 42.5% |
| 52 | Oman | 5.5 | 7.8 | +2.3M | 42.4% |
| 53 | Jordan | 11.5 | 16.4 | +4.8M | 42.1% |
| 54 | Uzbekistan | 37.1 | 52.2 | +15.2M | 40.9% |
| 55 | Papua New Guinea | 10.8 | 14.9 | +4.1M | 38.5% |
| 56 | Saudi Arabia | 34.6 | 47.7 | +13.1M | 38.0% |
| 57 | Israel | 9.5 | 13.1 | +3.6M | 37.6% |
| 58 | Egypt | 118.4 | 161.6 | +43.3M | 36.6% |
| 59 | United Arab Emirates | 11.3 | 15.4 | +4.0M | 35.4% |
| 60 | Honduras | 11 | 14.8 | +3.8M | 34.9% |
| 61 | Botswana | 2.6 | 3.4 | +875K | 34.2% |
| 62 | Kiribati | 0.1 | 0.2 | +46.1K | 33.8% |
| 63 | Qatar | 3.1 | 4.2 | +1.0M | 33.7% |
| 64 | Timor-Leste | 1.4 | 1.9 | +471K | 33.2% |
| 65 | Kyrgyzstan | 7.3 | 9.6 | +2.3M | 32.2% |
| 66 | Guatemala | 18.7 | 24.7 | +6.0M | 32.0% |
| 67 | Nauru | 0 | 0 | +3.7K | 31.0% |
| 68 | Bahrain | 1.6 | 2.1 | +496K | 30.2% |
| 69 | Djibouti | 1.2 | 1.5 | +346K | 29.3% |
| 70 | Bolivia | 12.6 | 16.1 | +3.5M | 28.0% |
| 71 | Mongolia | 3.5 | 4.5 | +984K | 28.0% |
| 72 | Kazakhstan | 20.8 | 26.5 | +5.7M | 27.3% |
| 73 | Kuwait | 5 | 6.4 | +1.3M | 26.7% |
| 74 | Lesotho | 2.4 | 3 | +630K | 26.6% |
| 75 | Turkmenistan | 7.6 | 9.6 | +2.0M | 26.5% |
| 76 | Algeria | 47.4 | 59.6 | +12.1M | 25.6% |
| 77 | Nicaragua | 7 | 8.8 | +1.7M | 25.0% |
| 78 | Samoa | 0.2 | 0.3 | +53.4K | 24.4% |
| 79 | Libya | 7.5 | 9.3 | +1.8M | 24.2% |
| 80 | Laos | 7.9 | 9.8 | +1.9M | 23.9% |
| 81 | Haiti | 11.9 | 14.7 | +2.8M | 23.6% |
| 82 | Paraguay | 7 | 8.6 | +1.6M | 23.2% |
| 83 | Panama | 4.6 | 5.6 | +1.1M | 23.2% |
| 84 | Malaysia | 36 | 44.3 | +8.3M | 23.1% |
| 85 | Cambodia | 17.8 | 21.9 | +4.1M | 22.9% |
| 86 | South Africa | 64.7 | 79.2 | +14.4M | 22.3% |
| 87 | Bangladesh | 175.7 | 214.7 | +39.0M | 22.2% |
| 88 | Belize | 0.4 | 0.5 | +93.7K | 22.2% |
| 89 | Australia | 27 | 32.5 | +5.5M | 20.5% |
| 90 | Eswatini | 1.3 | 1.5 | +249K | 19.8% |
| 91 | Lebanon | 5.8 | 7 | +1.1M | 19.7% |
| 92 | Peru | 34.6 | 40.6 | +6.0M | 17.4% |
| 93 | Nepal | 29.6 | 34.6 | +5.0M | 17.0% |
| 94 | Ecuador | 18.3 | 21.3 | +3.0M | 16.7% |
| 95 | Luxembourg | 0.7 | 0.8 | +111K | 16.3% |
| 96 | Philippines | 116.8 | 134.4 | +17.6M | 15.1% |
| 97 | India | 1,463.90 | 1,679.60 | +215.7M | 14.7% |
| 98 | Suriname | 0.6 | 0.7 | +94.1K | 14.7% |
| 99 | Canada | 40.1 | 45.6 | +5.5M | 13.7% |
| 100 | Morocco | 38.4 | 43.4 | +5.0M | 13.0% |
| 101 | Mexico | 131.9 | 148.9 | +17.0M | 12.9% |
| 102 | Dominican Republic | 11.5 | 13 | +1.5M | 12.8% |
| 103 | Ireland | 5.3 | 6 | +662K | 12.5% |
| 104 | Guyana | 0.8 | 0.9 | +105K | 12.5% |
| 105 | Indonesia | 285.7 | 320.7 | +35.0M | 12.2% |
| 106 | Maldives | 0.5 | 0.6 | +60.3K | 11.4% |
| 107 | Brunei | 0.5 | 0.5 | +53.2K | 11.4% |
| 108 | Colombia | 53.4 | 59.4 | +6.0M | 11.2% |
| 109 | Micronesia | 0.1 | 0.1 | +12.7K | 11.2% |
| 110 | Bhutan | 0.8 | 0.9 | +85.7K | 10.8% |
| 111 | Iran | 92.4 | 101.9 | +9.4M | 10.2% |
| 112 | Cyprus | 1.4 | 1.5 | +138K | 10.0% |
| 113 | United States | 347.3 | 380.8 | +33.6M | 9.7% |
| 114 | New Zealand | 5.3 | 5.8 | +503K | 9.6% |
| 115 | Venezuela | 28.5 | 31.1 | +2.6M | 9.0% |
| 116 | Iceland | 0.4 | 0.4 | +34.7K | 8.7% |
| 117 | United Kingdom | 69.6 | 75.5 | +6.0M | 8.6% |
| 118 | Vietnam | 101.6 | 110 | +8.4M | 8.3% |
| 119 | Azerbaijan | 10.4 | 11.2 | +827K | 8.0% |
| 120 | Cabo Verde | 0.5 | 0.6 | +38.8K | 7.4% |
| 121 | Fiji | 0.9 | 1 | +67.1K | 7.2% |
| 122 | Liechtenstein | 0 | 0 | +2.9K | 7.2% |
| 123 | Myanmar | 54.9 | 58.6 | +3.8M | 6.9% |
| 124 | Sri Lanka | 23.2 | 24.8 | +1.6M | 6.8% |
| 125 | Seychelles | 0.1 | 0.1 | +9.0K | 6.8% |
| 126 | Tunisia | 12.3 | 13.1 | +797K | 6.5% |
| 127 | Sweden | 10.7 | 11.3 | +653K | 6.1% |
| 128 | Argentina | 45.9 | 48.3 | +2.5M | 5.4% |
| 129 | Bahamas | 0.4 | 0.4 | +21.2K | 5.3% |
| 130 | Norway | 5.6 | 5.9 | +277K | 4.9% |
| 131 | El Salvador | 6.4 | 6.7 | +298K | 4.7% |
| 132 | Switzerland | 9 | 9.3 | +375K | 4.2% |
| 133 | Turkey | 87.7 | 91.3 | +3.6M | 4.1% |
| 134 | Costa Rica | 5.2 | 5.4 | +201K | 3.9% |
| 135 | Singapore | 5.9 | 6.1 | +211K | 3.6% |
| 136 | Netherlands | 18.3 | 19 | +612K | 3.3% |
| 137 | Tuvalu | 0 | 0.01 | 289 | 3.0% |
| 138 | France | 66.7 | 68.2 | +1.6M | 2.4% |
| 139 | Chile | 19.9 | 20.3 | +460K | 2.3% |
| 140 | Brazil | 212.8 | 217.5 | +4.7M | 2.2% |
| 141 | Denmark | 6 | 6.1 | +122K | 2.0% |
| 142 | Tonga | 0.1 | 0.1 | +1.5K | 1.4% |
| 143 | Belgium | 11.8 | 11.9 | +112K | 1.0% |
| 144 | Antigua and Barbuda | 0.1 | 0.1 | 846 | 0.9% |
| 145 | San Marino | 0.034 | 0.034 | 124 | 0.4% |
| 146 | Andorra | 0.083 | 0.082 | -709 | -0.9% |
| 147 | Malta | 0.55 | 0.54 | -9.7K | -1.8% |
| 148 | North Korea | 26.6 | 25.8 | -784K | -3.0% |
| 149 | Grenada | 0.12 | 0.11 | -4.1K | -3.5% |
| 150 | Georgia | 3.8 | 3.7 | -143K | -3.7% |
| 151 | Uruguay | 3.4 | 3.3 | -130K | -3.9% |
| 152 | Monaco | 0.04 | 0 | -1.6K | -4.1% |
| 153 | Dominica | 0.07 | 0.06 | -2.7K | -4.1% |
| 154 | Austria | 9.1 | 8.7 | -389K | -4.3% |
| 155 | Saint Lucia | 0.18 | 0.17 | -8.1K | -4.5% |
| 156 | Finland | 5.6 | 5.4 | -272K | -4.8% |
| 157 | Russia | 144 | 136.1 | -7.9M | -5.5% |
| 158 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 0.05 | 0.04 | -2.7K | -5.7% |
| 159 | Portugal | 10.4 | 9.8 | -642K | -6.2% |
| 160 | Spain | 47.9 | 44.9 | -3.0M | -6.2% |
| 161 | Slovenia | 2.1 | 2 | -136K | -6.4% |
| 162 | Barbados | 0.28 | 0.26 | -18.4K | -6.5% |
| 163 | Germany | 84.1 | 78.3 | -5.8M | -6.9% |
| 164 | Thailand | 71.6 | 66.4 | -5.2M | -7.3% |
| 165 | Trinidad and Tobago | 1.5 | 1.4 | -111K | -7.4% |
| 166 | Czechia | 10.6 | 9.8 | -784K | -7.4% |
| 167 | Hungary | 9.6 | 8.7 | -907K | -9.4% |
| 168 | Slovakia | 5.5 | 4.9 | -538K | -9.8% |
| 169 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 0.1 | 0.09 | -11.0K | -11.0% |
| 170 | China | 1,416.10 | 1,260.30 | -155.8M | -11.0% |
| 171 | Greece | 9.9 | 8.8 | -1.1M | -11.3% |
| 172 | Palau | 0.02 | 0.02 | -2.1K | -12.1% |
| 173 | Italy | 59.1 | 51.9 | -7.3M | -12.3% |
| 174 | Estonia | 1.3 | 1.2 | -170K | -12.6% |
| 175 | South Korea | 51.7 | 45.1 | -6.5M | -12.6% |
| 176 | Mauritius | 1.3 | 1.1 | -161K | -12.7% |
| 177 | Jamaica | 2.8 | 2.5 | -382K | -13.5% |
| 178 | Poland | 38.1 | 32.8 | -5.3M | -14.0% |
| 179 | Cuba | 10.9 | 9.4 | -1.6M | -14.2% |
| 180 | Japan | 123.1 | 105.1 | -18.0M | -14.6% |
| 181 | Romania | 18.9 | 16 | -2.9M | -15.2% |
| 182 | Armenia | 3 | 2.5 | -457K | -15.5% |
| 183 | Montenegro | 0.63 | 0.53 | -99.4K | -15.7% |
| 184 | Croatia | 3.8 | 3.2 | -614K | -16.0% |
| 185 | North Macedonia | 1.8 | 1.5 | -301K | -16.6% |
| 186 | Belarus | 9 | 7.5 | -1.5M | -17.2% |
| 187 | Serbia | 6.7 | 5.5 | -1.2M | -17.3% |
| 188 | Ukraine | 39 | 32 | -7.0M | -17.9% |
| 189 | Latvia | 1.9 | 1.5 | -340K | -18.3% |
| 190 | Albania | 2.8 | 2.2 | -531K | -19.2% |
| 191 | Bulgaria | 6.7 | 5.4 | -1.3M | -19.5% |
| 192 | Lithuania | 2.8 | 2.3 | -571K | -20.2% |
| 193 | Moldova | 3 | 2.4 | -644K | -21.5% |
| 194 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 3.1 | 2.5 | -685K | -21.8% |
| 195 | Marshall Islands | 0.04 | 0.03 | -11.1K | -30.6% |
All 10 of the fastest-growing sovereign states are in sub-Saharan Africa, where fertility remains high and child mortality has fallen sharply—a demographic lag that East Asia passed through decades ago.
This surge will place increasing pressure on infrastructure, education systems, and job markets, while also creating opportunities for economic expansion.
Where Populations Are Shrinking the Fastest
At the other end of the spectrum, several major economies are entering sustained population decline—driven by low birth rates and aging populations.
China alone is projected to lose more than 150 million people by 2050, while Japan, Italy, and Russia are also facing steep contractions. This shift could have significant implications for economic growth, labor supply, and public finances. Overall, European countries make up 11 of the 20 largest absolute declines.
Even Thailand is projected to shrink by 4.2 million people, highlighting how population decline is spreading beyond traditionally aging regions. Like many countries in East Asia, Thailand faces persistently low fertility rates (around 1.2 births per woman) and a rapidly aging population.
By mid-century, global population trends will be defined less by overall growth and more by divergence.
A small group of countries will account for the vast majority of new people, while many others shrink. This widening gap between fast-growing and shrinking populations is set to reshape migration flows, economic power, and the global workforce over the coming decades.
Learn More on the Voronoi App
To learn more about this topic, check out this graphic on the countries with the most births per hour.