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Growing world population

One of the major problems for our future is the ever growing number of people living on Earth. We are referring to this in several articles on this site. Below you can find first a graph about the population by geographical area and by year, starting in 1950 until the year 2050.

The second graph shows the population density by geographical area by year, i.e. the number of people living per square kilometre. Further down, we provide lists of the current and predicted population by country. Click on one of the links below to jump directly to a list or graph:

Data source is the U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division (http://www.census.gov/ipc/www/). Data last updated 08-24-2006.

 

World population by geographical area from 1950 to 2050

World population by continent from 1950 to 2050

 

 

Population density by year and by geographical area:

 

World population density 1950 to 2050

 

Population by country for 2007 and 2050 (alphabetical order)


20072050
Afghanistan31'889'92381'933'479
Albania 3'600'5234'016'945
Algeria 33'333'21643'983'870
American Samoa57'66335'129
Andorra 71'82269'129
Angola 12'263'59624'746'652
Anguilla13'67715'921
Antigua and Barbuda 69'48169'259
Argentina 40'301'92748'740'060
Armenia 2'971'6502'943'441
Aruba72'19469'990
Australia 20'434'17624'175'783
Austria 8'199'7837'520'950
Azerbaijan 8'120'2479'955'428
Bahamas, The 305'655324'052
Bahrain 708'573973'412
Bangladesh 150'448'339279'955'405
Barbados280'946274'523
Belarus 9'724'7237'738'613
Belgium 10'392'2269'882'599
Belize 294'385541'734
Benin8'078'31416'356'458
Bermuda 66'16366'025
Bhutan 2'327'8494'653'447
Bolivia 9'119'15213'772'819
Bosnia and Herzegovina 4'552'1983'891'669
Botswana1'639'1311'411'662
Brazil 190'010'647228'426'737
Brunei 386'511600'998
Bulgaria7'322'8584'651'477
Burkina Faso 14'326'20343'656'786
Burma47'373'95854'430'334
Burundi 8'390'50522'852'556
Cambodia14'131'85825'089'909
Cameroon18'060'38234'908'839
Canada 33'390'14141'429'579
Cape Verde 423'613380'614
Cayman Islands46'60090'230
Central African Republic 4'369'0386'502'151
Chad 10'238'80729'547'665
Chile16'284'74119'244'843
China1'321'851'8881'424'161'948
Colombia44'227'55064'534'230
Comoros 710'9601'835'099
Congo (Brazzaville) 3'800'6109'618'358
Congo (Kinshasa) 64'606'759183'177'415
Cook Islands 21'75024'930
Costa Rica 4'133'8845'696'700
Cote d'Ivoire 18'013'40932'400'664
Croatia 4'493'3123'864'201
Cuba 11'416'98710'477'677
Cyprus 788'457841'102
Czech Republic10'228'7448'540'221
Denmark 5'468'1205'575'147
Djibouti496'374993'011
Dominica68'92581'961
Dominican Republic 9'365'81814'657'962
East Timor 1'084'9711'942'734
Ecuador 13'755'68020'332'088
Egypt80'264'543126'920'512
El Salvador6'939'68812'039'149
Equatorial Guinea551'2011'063'071
Eritrea 4'906'58510'164'076
Estonia 1'315'912861'913
Ethiopia76'511'887144'716'331
Faroe Islands 47'51153'050
Fiji 918'6751'447'573
Finland 5'238'4604'819'615
France 61'083'91661'017'122
French Guiana 203'321317'377
French Polynesia 278'633390'581
Gabon1'454'8673'221'749
Gambia, The1'688'3594'068'861
Gaza Strip 1'482'4054'209'026
Georgia 4'646'0033'784'724
Germany 82'400'99673'607'121
Ghana22'931'29938'735'638
Gibraltar 27'96725'617
Greece 10'706'29010'035'935
Greenland 56'34456'644
Grenada 89'97187'136
Guadeloupe 456'698528'062
Guam 173'456242'692
Guatemala 12'728'11122'995'434
Guernsey65'57360'606
Guinea 9'947'81428'713'509
Guinea-Bissau 1'472'0412'895'666
Guyana 769'095597'806
Haiti8'706'49719'807'275
Honduras7'483'76312'641'869
Hong Kong S.A.R. 6'980'4126'172'725
Hungary 9'956'1088'374'619
Iceland 301'931350'922
India1'129'866'1541'807'878'574
Indonesia 234'693'997313'020'847
Iran 65'397'52181'490'039
Iraq 27'499'63856'360'779
Ireland 4'109'0865'396'215
Isle of Man75'83180'131
Israel 6'426'6798'516'835
Italy58'147'73350'389'841
Jamaica 2'780'1323'499'068
Japan127'467'97299'886'568
Jersey 91'32184'077
Jordan 6'053'19311'772'789
Kazakhstan 15'284'92915'099'700
Kenya36'913'72165'175'864
Kiribati107'817235'342
Korea, North 23'301'72526'363'688
Korea, South 49'044'79045'224'224
Kuwait 2'505'5596'374'800
Kyrgyzstan 5'284'1498'237'623
Laos 6'521'99813'176'153
Latvia 2'259'8101'544'073
Lebanon 3'921'2784'940'731
Lesotho 2'012'6491'448'643
Liberia 3'193'9427'072'402
Libya6'036'91410'817'176
Liechtenstein 34'24735'776
Lithuania 3'575'4392'787'516
Luxembourg 480'222720'603
Macau S.A.R. 456'989487'488
Macedonia 2'055'9151'990'728
Madagascar 19'448'81556'513'827
Malawi 13'603'18129'820'957
Malaysia24'821'28643'122'397
Maldives369'031815'031
Mali 11'995'40240'002'414
Malta401'880395'639
Marshall Islands 61'782102'761
Martinique 439'202478'627
Mauritania 3'270'0658'635'801
Mauritius 1'250'8821'451'156
Mayotte 208'807592'627
Mexico 108'700'891147'907'650
Micronesia, Federated States of 107'86274'296
Moldova 4'320'4903'620'416
Monaco 32'67132'964
Mongolia2'874'1274'086'025
Montenegro 684'736577'654
Montserrat 9'53811'908
Morocco 33'757'17550'871'553
Mozambique 20'905'58541'842'274
Namibia 2'055'0801'795'852
Nauru13'52822'696
Nepal28'901'79053'293'874
Netherlands16'570'61317'334'090
Netherlands Antilles223'472252'578
New Caledonia 221'943290'682
New Zealand4'115'7714'842'397
Nicaragua 5'675'3569'437'504
Niger12'894'86534'419'502
Nigeria 135'031'164356'523'597
Northern Mariana Islands 84'546143'132
Norway 4'627'9264'966'385
Oman 3'204'8978'337'734
Pakistan169'270'617294'995'104
Palau20'84226'300
Panama 3'242'1735'038'122
Papua New Guinea 5'795'88710'670'394
Paraguay6'667'14714'635'743
Peru 28'674'75738'300'067
Philippines91'077'287147'630'852
Poland 38'518'24132'084'570
Portugal10'642'8369'933'334
Puerto Rico3'944'2593'770'496
Qatar907'2291'239'216
Reunion 798'0941'132'283
Romania 22'276'05618'678'226
Russia 141'377'752109'187'353
Rwanda 9'907'50925'128'735
Saint Helena 7'5437'247
Saint Kitts and Nevis 39'34952'348
Saint Lucia170'649235'420
Saint Pierre and Miquelon 7'0366'355
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines118'14992'335
Samoa176'615170'739
San Marino 29'61535'335
Sao Tome and Principe 199'579502'489
Saudi Arabia 27'601'03849'706'851
Senegal 12'521'85127'519'852
Serbia 10'150'2659'274'767
Seychelles 81'89589'713
Sierra Leone 6'144'56213'998'936
Singapore 4'553'0094'635'110
Slovakia5'447'5024'943'616
Slovenia2'009'2451'596'947
Solomon Islands 566'8421'110'514
Somalia 9'118'77325'499'605
South Africa 43'997'82833'002'952
Spain40'448'19135'564'293
Sri Lanka 20'926'31524'920'558
Sudan42'292'92984'192'309
Suriname470'784617'249
Swaziland 1'133'066751'328
Sweden 9'031'0889'084'788
Switzerland7'554'6617'296'092
Syria19'314'74734'437'235
Taiwan 23'174'29423'203'650
Tajikistan 7'076'59812'132'365
Tanzania38'139'64071'949'135
Thailand65'068'14969'268'817
Togo 5'701'57914'714'623
Tonga116'921188'340
Trinidad and Tobago 1'056'608622'011
Tunisia 10'276'15812'462'798
Turkey 71'158'64786'473'786
Turkmenistan 5'136'2629'626'193
Turks and Caicos Islands 21'74642'384
Tuvalu 11'99220'018
Uganda 30'262'610128'007'514
Ukraine 46'299'86233'573'842
United Arab Emirates2'642'5663'696'962
United Kingdom60'776'23863'977'435
United States 301'139'947420'080'587
Uruguay 3'447'4963'728'264
Uzbekistan 27'780'05948'597'111
Vanuatu 211'971310'486
Venezuela 26'084'66237'106'394
Vietnam 85'262'356107'772'641
Virgin Islands108'448103'303
Virgin Islands, British23'55234'038
Wallis and Futuna16'30920'434
West Bank 2'535'9275'580'321
Western Sahara382'617996'674
Yemen22'211'74371'119'251
Zambia 11'477'44718'435'053
Zimbabwe12'311'14312'221'257

 

Population by country for 2007 and 2050 (ordered by population in 2050)


20072050
India1'129'866'1541'807'878'574
China1'321'851'8881'424'161'948
United States 301'139'947420'080'587
Nigeria 135'031'164356'523'597
Indonesia 234'693'997313'020'847
Pakistan169'270'617294'995'104
Bangladesh 150'448'339279'955'405
Brazil 190'010'647228'426'737
Congo (Kinshasa) 64'606'759183'177'415
Mexico 108'700'891147'907'650
Philippines91'077'287147'630'852
Ethiopia76'511'887144'716'331
Uganda 30'262'610128'007'514
Egypt80'264'543126'920'512
Russia 141'377'752109'187'353
Vietnam 85'262'356107'772'641
Japan127'467'97299'886'568
Turkey 71'158'64786'473'786
Sudan42'292'92984'192'309
Afghanistan31'889'92381'933'479
Iran 65'397'52181'490'039
Germany 82'400'99673'607'121
Tanzania38'139'64071'949'135
Yemen22'211'74371'119'251
Thailand65'068'14969'268'817
Kenya36'913'72165'175'864
Colombia44'227'55064'534'230
United Kingdom60'776'23863'977'435
France 61'083'91661'017'122
Madagascar 19'448'81556'513'827
Iraq 27'499'63856'360'779
Burma47'373'95854'430'334
Nepal28'901'79053'293'874
Morocco 33'757'17550'871'553
Italy58'147'73350'389'841
Saudi Arabia 27'601'03849'706'851
Argentina 40'301'92748'740'060
Uzbekistan 27'780'05948'597'111
Korea, South 49'044'79045'224'224
Algeria 33'333'21643'983'870
Burkina Faso 14'326'20343'656'786
Malaysia24'821'28643'122'397
Mozambique 20'905'58541'842'274
Canada 33'390'14141'429'579
Mali 11'995'40240'002'414
Ghana22'931'29938'735'638
Peru 28'674'75738'300'067
Venezuela 26'084'66237'106'394
Spain40'448'19135'564'293
Cameroon18'060'38234'908'839
Syria19'314'74734'437'235
Niger12'894'86534'419'502
Ukraine 46'299'86233'573'842
South Africa 43'997'82833'002'952
Cote d'Ivoire 18'013'40932'400'664
Poland 38'518'24132'084'570
Malawi 13'603'18129'820'957
Chad 10'238'80729'547'665
Guinea 9'947'81428'713'509
Senegal 12'521'85127'519'852
Korea, North 23'301'72526'363'688
Somalia 9'118'77325'499'605
Rwanda 9'907'50925'128'735
Cambodia14'131'85825'089'909
Sri Lanka 20'926'31524'920'558
Angola 12'263'59624'746'652
Australia 20'434'17624'175'783
Taiwan 23'174'29423'203'650
Guatemala 12'728'11122'995'434
Burundi 8'390'50522'852'556
Ecuador 13'755'68020'332'088
Haiti8'706'49719'807'275
Chile16'284'74119'244'843
Romania 22'276'05618'678'226
Zambia 11'477'44718'435'053
Netherlands16'570'61317'334'090
Benin8'078'31416'356'458
Kazakhstan 15'284'92915'099'700
Togo 5'701'57914'714'623
Dominican Republic 9'365'81814'657'962
Paraguay6'667'14714'635'743
Sierra Leone 6'144'56213'998'936
Bolivia 9'119'15213'772'819
Laos 6'521'99813'176'153
Honduras7'483'76312'641'869
Tunisia 10'276'15812'462'798
Zimbabwe12'311'14312'221'257
Tajikistan 7'076'59812'132'365
El Salvador6'939'68812'039'149
Jordan 6'053'19311'772'789
Libya6'036'91410'817'176
Papua New Guinea 5'795'88710'670'394
Cuba 11'416'98710'477'677
Eritrea 4'906'58510'164'076
Greece 10'706'29010'035'935
Azerbaijan 8'120'2479'955'428
Portugal10'642'8369'933'334
Belgium 10'392'2269'882'599
Turkmenistan 5'136'2629'626'193
Congo (Brazzaville) 3'800'6109'618'358
Nicaragua 5'675'3569'437'504
Serbia 10'150'2659'274'767
Sweden 9'031'0889'084'788
Mauritania 3'270'0658'635'801
Czech Republic10'228'7448'540'221
Israel 6'426'6798'516'835
Hungary 9'956'1088'374'619
Oman 3'204'8978'337'734
Kyrgyzstan 5'284'1498'237'623
Belarus 9'724'7237'738'613
Austria 8'199'7837'520'950
Switzerland7'554'6617'296'092
Liberia 3'193'9427'072'402
Central African Republic 4'369'0386'502'151
Kuwait 2'505'5596'374'800
Hong Kong S.A.R. 6'980'4126'172'725
Costa Rica 4'133'8845'696'700
West Bank 2'535'9275'580'321
Denmark 5'468'1205'575'147
Ireland 4'109'0865'396'215
Panama 3'242'1735'038'122
Norway 4'627'9264'966'385
Slovakia5'447'5024'943'616
Lebanon 3'921'2784'940'731
New Zealand4'115'7714'842'397
Finland 5'238'4604'819'615
Bhutan 2'327'8494'653'447
Bulgaria7'322'8584'651'477
Singapore 4'553'0094'635'110
Gaza Strip 1'482'4054'209'026
Mongolia2'874'1274'086'025
Gambia, The1'688'3594'068'861
Albania 3'600'5234'016'945
Bosnia and Herzegovina 4'552'1983'891'669
Croatia 4'493'3123'864'201
Georgia 4'646'0033'784'724
Puerto Rico3'944'2593'770'496
Uruguay 3'447'4963'728'264
United Arab Emirates2'642'5663'696'962
Moldova 4'320'4903'620'416
Jamaica 2'780'1323'499'068
Gabon1'454'8673'221'749
Armenia 2'971'6502'943'441
Guinea-Bissau 1'472'0412'895'666
Lithuania 3'575'4392'787'516
Macedonia 2'055'9151'990'728
East Timor 1'084'9711'942'734
Comoros 710'9601'835'099
Namibia 2'055'0801'795'852
Slovenia2'009'2451'596'947
Latvia 2'259'8101'544'073
Mauritius 1'250'8821'451'156
Lesotho 2'012'6491'448'643
Fiji 918'6751'447'573
Botswana1'639'1311'411'662
Qatar907'2291'239'216
Reunion 798'0941'132'283
Solomon Islands 566'8421'110'514
Equatorial Guinea551'2011'063'071
Western Sahara382'617996'674
Djibouti496'374993'011
Bahrain 708'573973'412
Estonia 1'315'912861'913
Cyprus 788'457841'102
Maldives369'031815'031
Swaziland 1'133'066751'328
Luxembourg 480'222720'603
Trinidad and Tobago 1'056'608622'011
Suriname470'784617'249
Brunei 386'511600'998
Guyana 769'095597'806
Mayotte 208'807592'627
Montenegro 684'736577'654
Belize 294'385541'734
Guadeloupe 456'698528'062
Sao Tome and Principe 199'579502'489
Macau S.A.R. 456'989487'488
Martinique 439'202478'627
Malta401'880395'639
French Polynesia 278'633390'581
Cape Verde 423'613380'614
Iceland 301'931350'922
Bahamas, The 305'655324'052
French Guiana 203'321317'377
Vanuatu 211'971310'486
New Caledonia 221'943290'682
Barbados280'946274'523
Netherlands Antilles223'472252'578
Guam 173'456242'692
Saint Lucia170'649235'420
Kiribati107'817235'342
Tonga116'921188'340
Samoa176'615170'739
Northern Mariana Islands 84'546143'132
Virgin Islands108'448103'303
Marshall Islands 61'782102'761
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines118'14992'335
Cayman Islands46'60090'230
Seychelles 81'89589'713
Grenada 89'97187'136
Jersey 91'32184'077
Dominica68'92581'961
Isle of Man75'83180'131
Micronesia, Federated States of 107'86274'296
Aruba72'19469'990
Antigua and Barbuda 69'48169'259
Andorra 71'82269'129
Bermuda 66'16366'025
Guernsey65'57360'606
Greenland 56'34456'644
Faroe Islands 47'51153'050
Saint Kitts and Nevis 39'34952'348
Turks and Caicos Islands 21'74642'384
Liechtenstein 34'24735'776
San Marino 29'61535'335
American Samoa57'66335'129
Virgin Islands, British23'55234'038
Monaco 32'67132'964
Palau20'84226'300
Gibraltar 27'96725'617
Cook Islands 21'75024'930
Nauru13'52822'696
Wallis and Futuna16'30920'434
Tuvalu 11'99220'018
Anguilla13'67715'921
Montserrat 9'53811'908
Saint Helena 7'5437'247
Saint Pierre and Miquelon 7'0366'355
ΞEnergy efficiency | global warming solutions

8 thoughts on “Growing world population”

  1. population of China in 2050
    I am from China. To my understand, China start one-child policy for the family since 1976. It will bring population downsize after 2020-2030 by my estimation.

    I do not know the original source for your data, and would like to share your view.

    Karf
    Ph.D, Operations Specialist
    Operations development group
    ABB China Ltd.

    1. One-Child policy in China

      Dear Karf,

      The source of the data above is the U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division (http://www.census.gov/ipc/www/). Data last updated 08-24-2006.

      So the one-child policy in China is certainly taken into account for the above figures. This is the reason why the population of China is estimated to be almost the same in 2007 and 2050.

      Juerg

  2. Population reduction
    You come so close in this excellent paper — but you stop short of recommending reduction of population! Why???
    No one says it would be easy, and I have no particular strategy for bringing it about.
    But I think your entire exposition would be made more meaningful if you could estimate global temperatures, carbon dioxide atmospheric levels, global carbon dioxide emissions, etc., projecting them decade by decade — but at different levels of world population. Take it back a half billion people at a time, all the way down to two billion people (that’s my personal estimate of where world population should be if we’re to have a “sustainable” civilization).
    I have made the same criticism of the IPCC project. They have briefly alluded to the importance of population — but have stopped short of making any recommendations for addressing it. I felt that their SRES computer models could have been tweaked so as to show outcomes varying with different specific levels of world population.
    That’s not to say that I don’t agree with all the other measures you recommend. I do. But I’m really skeptical that we’ll ever be successful if we don’t simultaneously bring down world population.

    George F. Gitlitz, M.D.
    Sarasota, FL
    gandsgitlitz@cs.com

    1. World population and global warming

      Dear George,

      I agree with what you are saying. This was the reason why we took all the effort to provide a "global warming simulation tool" as a spreadsheet model. For this model, there are 3 parameters you can play with:

      • When to start with the reduction of greenhouse gases
      • Increase or decrease in percent per year of the world-wide average carbon footprint (CO2 emissions per capita)
      • Size of world population (increase or decrease in percent per year)

      At this link, you can download the global warming simulation model as Excel or OpenOffice spreadsheet.

      At this link, you can find some commented results of the global warming simulation model. However the reduction of the world population as you suggested was not taken into account. But if you download the model, you can easily do this yourself.

      Best regards

      Juerg

    2. Population and Global Warming
      I recently queried a person involved with the IPCC reports with regard to world population vis-a-vis global warming. He sent me a glib answer that human respiration has nothing to do with increased greenhouse gases in the atmosphere (because it is a closed system– the food eaten was a product of photosynthesis, so the carbon released by human respiration has sort of been paid forward by the plants that died to create the food the human consumed), and basically said case closed! I am no scientist, but that makes no sense to me. Since 1750 the population has increased at a huge rate, and concidentally, so has carbon emissions– almost an identical curve. I believe that human over population has lead to any number of effects. If the globe is warming due to carbon emissions, it seems as or more likely that human population/respiration and yes, burning of fossil fuels taken together are the problem. Fewer people, fewer carbon emissions. I find very few people willing to allow for the continued population increase as the root source for any “global warming” that is not caused by natural cycles, sun spots, etc. Can you comment?

      Jeff
      jeff@mcvickers.net

      1. World population increase and climate change

        Jeff,

        The increasing world population is indeed a major problem as stated in the main article above. However it is not really respiration of these people which is causing problems, it is rather the need of these people for food, water, space, energy, etc. The earth cannot sustain an ever increasing number of people with ever increasing demands per capita. The ressources of the earth are limited and so is the number of people it can sustain.

        I think the person you queried misunderstood your question. Probably he or she wanted only point out that global warming has very little to do with respiration of people.

        Juerg

        1. What impacts world population increase
          As you fly in a jet place from say one continent to another, take a look through the window and try to comprehend and contemplate the vast uninhabited space of our Earth, even in the most populated countries. It is massive. It simply seems infinite. So, let’s not forget about our incapacities, greed, wars, corruption, destruction and love-of-dominating of others and instead, we put the blame of our mistakes on Earth and its God-given size.

          Allah says (Allah? God? What does He have to do with this you may say now): Corruption is appeared in land and sea as a result of what people “accomplished”. Take a look at our seas. Take a look at our destroyed lands and countries. The destruction and devastation we are currently living are actually the direct impact of the decisions and will of a few, very few, who control the wealth of the world, yet they seem the most hungriest for more. The rest of the population simply seem to them to be overweight that they are better off without.

          They are stupid! They don’t know how to differentiate between fat and life-sustaining matter, us.

          Mohsen Madi

          1. What impacts world population increase
            The above graphs indicate a declining European population, maybe there is a link between a populations size and the availability and standard of their populations education?

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