Overview
Updated: 22 December 2016
World: Population, 1950-2100
Five-year population increase, 1950-1955 to 2095-2100
World: Population and population increase, 1950-2100
Source: United Nations, PPP2015. Population increase in millions; total population (red line) in billions.
Africa: Population, 1950-2100
Five-year population increase, 1950-1955 to 2095-2100
Africa; Population and population increase, 1950-2100
Source: United Nations, PPP2015. Population increase in millions; total population (red line) in billions.
World: Population, 1950-2100
World population, 1950-2100
Source: United Nations, PPP2015
Africa: Population, 1950-2100
Africa's population, 1950-2100
Source: United Nations, PPP2015
Asia: Population, 1950-2100
Asia's population, 1950-2100
Source: United Nations, PPP2015
Europe: Population, 1950-2100
Europe's population, 1950-2100
Source: United Nations, PPP2015
Latin America: Population, 1950-2100
Population of Latin America and the Caribbean, 1950-2100
Source: United Nations, PPP2015
Northern America: Population, 1950-2100
Population of Northern America, 1950-2100
Source: United Nations, PPP2015
Africa vs. Europe: Population, 1950-2100
Population of Africa and Europe, 1950-2100
Source: United Nations, PPP2015
Latin America vs. Northern America: Population, 1950-2100
Population of Latin America and Northern America, 1950-2100
Source: United Nations, PPP2015
Asia vs. Africa: Population, 1950-2100
Population of Asia and Africa, 1950-2100
Source: United Nations, WPP2015
Population increase by region, 1950-2100
Population increase by region, 1950-2100
Source: United Nations, WPP2015
Population increase or decline by major regions
Population growth and decline
Source: United Nations, WPP2015
Population increase: Top 20 countries
Population growth by country
Source: United Nations, WPP2015
Population change: 1950-2100
Democratic Republic of the Congo, United Republic of Tanzania, Belarus
Population growth in countries with similar population size in 1950
Source: United Nations, WPP2015
Population change: 1950-2100
Ethiopia, Egypt, Poland
Population growth in countries with similar population size in 1950
Source: United Nations, WPP2015
Population change: 1950-2100
Nigeria, Pakistan, Ukraine
Population growth in countries with similar population size in 1950
Source: United Nations, WPP2015
Population change: 1950-2100
Niger, Iraq, Bulgaria
Population growth in countries with similar population size in 1950
Source: United Nations, WPP2015
Population change: 1950-2100
The United States of America, Western Europe and the Russian Federation
Population growth or decline: USA, Western Europe, Russian Federation, 1950-2100
Source: United Nations, WPP2015
Europe: Births & Deaths, 1950-2100
Europe: Crude birth and death rates, 1950-2100
Source: United Nations, WPP2015
Africa: Births & Deaths, 1950-2100
Africa: Crude birth and death rates, 1950-2100
Source: United Nations, PPP2015
Asia: Births & Deaths, 1950-2100
Asia: Crude birth and death rates, 1950-2100
Source: United Nations, PPP2015
World population by major regions, 1950-2100
World population, 1950-2100
Source: United Nations, WPP2015
Percentage of world population by major regions, 1950-2100
World population, 1950-2100
Source: United Nations, WPP2015
Share of world population by major regions
Asia's population, 1950-2100
Source: United Nations, PPP2015
Population density by major regions, 2014, 2050, 2100
Population density by major regions, 2014, 2050, 2100
Chart prepared by Gerhard K. Heilig, 2014; Data source: United Nations, WPP2012: Medium Variant.
Population density by sub-regions
Population density by sub-regions, 2014
Population density by sub-regions, 2050
Population density by sub-regions, 2100
Chart prepared by Gerhard K. Heilig, 2014; Data source: United Nations, WPP2012: Medium Variant.
Population density: Top-50 most densely populated countries in 2015
Population density by major regions, 2014, 2050, 2100
Chart prepared by Gerhard K. Heilig, 2016; Data source: United Nations, WPP2015: Medium Variant.
Population density: Top-50 most densely populated countries in 2050
Population density by major regions, 2014, 2050, 2100
Chart prepared by Gerhard K. Heilig, 2016; Data source: United Nations, WPP2015: Medium Variant.
World: Population aged 0-24, 25-49, 50+
World: Population aged 0-24, 25-49, 50+
Chart by GKH. Data source: United Nations, WPP2015
Asia: Population aged 0-24, 25-49, 50+
Asia: Population aged 0-24, 25-49, 50+
Chart by GKH. Data source: United Nations, WPP2015
Africa: Population aged 0-24, 25-49, 50+
Africa: Population aged 0-24, 25-49, 50+
Chart by GKH. Data source: United Nations, WPP2015
Europe: Population aged 0-24, 25-49, 50+
Africa: Population aged 0-24, 25-49, 50+
Chart by GKH. Data source: United Nations, WPP2015
Africa vs. Europe:
Population aged 0-24, 25-49, 50+ (percent)
Africa: Population aged 0-24, 25-49, 50+
Chart by GKH. Data source: United Nations, WPP2015
Africa vs. Europe:
Population aged 0-24 (millions)
Africa: Population aged 0-24, 25-49, 50+
Chart by GKH. Data source: United Nations, WPP2015
Population aging
China: Population aging
Animation by GKH. Data source: United Nations, WPP2006
Median age by major regions
Median age by major regions
Chart by GKH. Data source: United Nations, WPP2015
Median age: Selected countries
Median age by major regions
Chart by GKH. Data source: United Nations, WPP2015
World: Population age 0-19, 20-49 and 50+
World: Population age 0-19, 20-49 and 50+
Chart by GKH. Data source: United Nations, WPP2015
World: Population aged 0-4 and 65+ (millions)
World: Population age 0-4 and 65+
Chart by GKH. Data source: United Nations, WPP2015
Africa: Population aged 0-4 and 65+ (millions)
Africa: Population age 0-4 and 65+
Chart by GKH. Data source: United Nations, WPP2015
Asia: Population aged 0-4 and 65+ (millions)
Asia: Population age 0-4 and 65+
Chart by GKH. Data source: United Nations, WPP2015
Europe*: Population aged 0-4 and 65+ (millions)
Europe: Population age 0-4 and 65+
Chart by GKH. Data source: United Nations, WPP2015
Latin America & Caribbean: Population aged 0-4 and 65+ (millions)
Latin America and the Caribbean: Population age 0-4 and 65+
Chart by GKH. Data source: United Nations, WPP2015
Northern America: Population aged 0-4 and 65+ (millions)
Northern America: Population age 0-4 and 65+
Chart by GKH. Data source: United Nations, WPP2015
Analysis: Population aging and fertility decline
Correlation between a decline in total fertility and an increase in median age of the population for all countries of the world
Population aging and fertility decline
Chart by GKH. Data source: United Nations, WPP2015
Correlation between a decline in total fertility and an increase in old-age dependency ratios for all countries of the world
Population aging and fertility decline
Chart by GKH. Data source: United Nations, WPP2015
Urban and rural population by major region.
Chart by GKH. Data source: United Nations WUP2014
Top-20 countries: Urban population, 2014.
Chart by GKH. Data source: United Nations WUP2014
Top-20 countries: Rural population, 2014.
Chart by GKH. Data source: United Nations WUP2014
Urban population by regions: 1950, 2015, 2050.
Chart by GKH. Data source: United Nations WUP2014
Urbanization: Definition problems
Diagram by GKH.
Common advantages and disadvantages of urban life
Table by GKH.
Europe: Urbanization and expansion of natural land cover, 1900 and 2010
HILDA v2.0 gross land changes
Urban Problems
Air pollution
Beijing air pollution. Photo from Wikimedia Commons.
Poor garbage collection
Garbage on Naples streets. Photo by LHOON, Taken on June 6, 2007
Traffic congestion
Photo by Wikipedia Commons
Poor-quality housing
Photo Wikipedia Commons
Bad, inhumane architecture
By 'Matthew G. Bisanz, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7789381
Bad urban planning
Photo Pruitt–Igoe housing scheme in St Louis, Missouri - United States Geological Survey, from their website. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pruitt-igoeUSGS02.jpg#/media/File:Pruitt-igoeUSGS02.jpg
Car-centered city design
Image: Google Map (satellite image) of Miami, FL, USA.
Vast mega-cities
Photo: Shinjuku Skyline Tokyo, Japan. October, 1996, Author: Kronks
Insufficient public transport
Photo: Rush hour at Shinjuku 02 by Chris 73 - Chris 73. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
Noise pollution
Plane landing San Diego Linburg Field airport. Photo: Harry and Rowena Kennedy Taken on October 3, 2014 - via Wikimedia Commons.
Vandalism - Graffiti

CC0 Public Domain.
Vandalism - Other
Vandalism at Hebden Bridge station, Calderdale, Great Britain. Copyright Phil Champion and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
Looting & crime
Sunday 7 August 2011. Riot damage Inside The Two Brewers in Scotland Green, just off High Road Tottenham. Photo by Alan Stanton, Creative Commons.
Slums and informal settlements
By Jon Hurd - originally posted to Flickr as Dharavi Slum, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4153374
CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=30442496
By Jonathan McIntosh - Own work, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=70041
Total fertility: Africa, World, Europe
Total Fertility in the World, Africa and Europe
Chart by GKH. Data source: United Nations, WPP2015
Total fertility: Europe, Northern America
Total Fertility in Europe and Northern America
Chart by GKH. Data source: United Nations, WPP2015
Total fertility: Africa, Asia, Latin America / Caribbean
Total Fertility in Africa, Asia and Latin America
Chart by GKH. Data source: United Nations, WPP2015
Total fertility:
Countries with TFR > 2.5, 2010-2015
Total fertility: High-fertility countries
Chart by GKH. Data source: United Nations, WPP2015
Total fertility:
Countries with TFR < 2.1, 2010-2015
Total fertility: Low-fertility countries
Chart by GKH. Data source: United Nations, WPP2015
World population by level of total fertility, 1950 to 2100
Median age by major regions
Chart by GKH. Data source: United Nations, WPP2010
European Union: Estimates of total fertility, 1960-2013
Median age by major regions
Chart by GKH. Data source: United Nations, WPP2015
European Union: Total fertility and mean age at childbirth, 2001-2013
TFR and MAC
Chart by GKH. Data source: EUROSTAT
European countries: Total fertility (children per woman), 2013
Total fertility by country
Chart by GKH. Data source: EUROSTAT, 2016
European countries: Mean age of women at birth of first child. Difference to EU(28) average, 2013
Mean age of woman at birth of first child
Chart by GKH. Data source: EUROSTAT, 2016
Countries in Europe and Western Asia
Proportion of live births out of marriage, 2013
Proportion of live births out of marriage
Chart by GKH. Data source: EUROSTAT, 2016
Proportion of live births out of marriage - as compared to EU(28) average, 2013
Proportion of live births out of marriage
Chart by GKH. Data source: EUROSTAT, 2016
Net Reproduction Rate (NRR)
Net Reproduction Rate by major regions, 1950-2050
Net Reproduction Rate by regions
Chart by GKH. Data source: UN WPP2015
Countries with the highest Net Reproduction Rate in 2010-2015
Countries with the highest Net Reproduction Rate
Chart by GKH. Data source: UN WPP2015
Countries with the lowest Net Reproduction Rate in 2010-2015
Countries with the highest Net Reproduction Rate
Chart by GKH. Data source: UN WPP2015
Infant and child mortality
Figure 1: Infant mortality by region, 1950/55 - 2010/15
Infant mortality by major regions
Chart by GKH. Note: The infant mortality is the probability of dying between birth and exact age 1. It is expressed as deaths per 1,000 live births. Data source: United Nations, WPP2015
Figure 2: Under-five mortality by region, 1950/55 - 2010/15
Under-five mortality by major regions
Chart by GKH. Note: The under-five mortality is the probability of dying between birth and exact age 5. It is expressed as deaths per 1,000 births. Data source: United Nations, WPP2015
Life expectancy at birth
Figure 1: Life expectancy at birth by major regions, 1950-2050
Life expectancy at birth by major regions
Chart by GKH. Note: Scale starts at age 40. Data source: United Nations, WPP2015
Figure 2: Life expectancy at birth by country: Highest & lowest in 2010-2015
Life expectancy at birth by major regions
Chart by GKH. Data source: United Nations, WPP2015
Figure 3: Changes in life expectancy at birth: Highest & lowest change, 1950/55 - 2010/15
Change in life expectancy at birth: Top-20 countries
Chart by GKH. Data source: United Nations, WPP2015
Adult mortality
Figure 1: Life expectancy at age 65 by major regions, 1950-2050
Life expectancy at age 65 by major regions
Chart by GKH. Note: Y-Axis starts at 7.5 years. Data source: United Nations, WPP2015
Figure 2: Life expectancy at age 65 by major regions, 1950-2050
Life expectancy at age 65 by major regions
Chart by GKH. Data source: United Nations, WPP2015
Figure 3: Selected countries: Life expectancy at age 65, 1950-2050
Selected countries: Life expectancy at age 65
Chart by GKH. Data source: United Nations, WPP2015
Migrant stock by major regions, 1990-2015
Foreign born population by major regions, 1990-2015
Data source: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs (2015). Trends in International Migrant Stock: The 2015 revision (United Nations database, POP/DB/MIG/Stock/Rev.2015).
Migrant stock in percent of the population by major regions, 1990-2015
Foreign born population by major regions, 1990-2015
Data source: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs (2015). Trends in International Migrant Stock: The 2015 revision (United Nations database, POP/DB/MIG/Stock/Rev.2015).
Percentage of the native-borne population living abroad, 2014
Countries with the most people living abroad.
Data source: OECD. Chart: statista.
Q1 What is the inter-generation transfer of wealth?*
Europe: Crude birth and death rates, 1950-2100
Source: United Nations, WPP2015
Q2 What are consequences of rapid population growth?
Figure 1: Niger, Nigeria, India, China: Average annual rate of population growth (in percent), 1950-2050
Consequences of rapid population growth
Chart by GKH. Data: UN WPP2015.
Diagram 1: Main consequences of rapid population growth.
Consequences of rapid population growth
Diagram by GKH, 2010
Q3 What are consequences of population ageing?
Consequences of population ageing
Chart by GKH, 2010. Data: UN WPP2015.
Q4 What are consequences of sub-replacement fertility?
Figure 1: Europe and Northern America: Total fertility (children per woman), 1950-2050
Consequences of rapid population growth
Chart by GKH. Data Source: UN WPP2015.
Note: Scale starts at 1 child per woman.
Figure 2: Major regions: Net-Reproduction-Rate, 1950-2050
Major regions: Net Reproduction Rates
Chart by GKH. Data Source: UN WPP2015.
Note: Scale starts at a NRR of 0.6.
Figure 3: Europe: Selected low-fertility countries, 1950-2050.
Consequences of rapid population growth
Chart by GKH. Data Source: UN WPP2015.
Note: Scale starts at 0.5 children per woman.
Figure 4: Asia: Selected low-fertility countries, 1950-2050
Consequences of rapid population growth
Chart by GKH. Data Source: UN WPP2015.
Note: Scale starts at 0.5 children per woman.
Figure 5: Countries with lowest Net Reproduction Rate in 2010/15, 1950/55 and 2010/15
Countries with lowest Net Reproduction Rate
Chart by GKH. Data Source: UN WPP2015.
Q5 Which country has the largest number of children (aged 0-14)?
Figure 1: Number of children (0-14): Top-15 countriesCountries with largest number of children
Chart by GKH. Data Source: UN WPP2015.
Figure 2: Percentage of children: Top and bottom 15 countries, 2015
Countries with highest and lowest percentage of children
Chart by GKH. Data Source: UN WPP2015.
Q6 Which country has the largest number of elderly (aged 65+)?
Figure 1: Number of elderly (age 65+): Top-15 countriesCountries with largest number of children
Chart by GKH. Data Source: UN WPP2015.
Figure 2: Percentage of elderly (age 65+): Top and bottom 15 countries, 2015
Countries with highest and lowest percentage of children
Chart by GKH. Data Source: UN WPP2015.
This website was initially developed by Gerhard K. Heilig in the late 1990s. Since then, it has been constantly updated. Text and images (figures, diagrams, charts, maps) are available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License