Demographics

Animation: The Global Population Over 300 Years, by Country

Published

2 years ago

October 1, 2022

James Eagle

Featured Creator

Article/Editing:

Carmen Ang

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.

This article was published as a part of Visual Capitalist's Creator Program, which features data-driven visuals from some of our favorite Creators around the world.

Related Topics:china africa india nigeria aging population global population China's one child policy animated africa's working age population 8 billion 2100

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Gen Z

Visualizing Gen Z’s Favorite Social Media Platforms

Over 90% of U.S. adults between the ages of 18 and 29 have used YouTube. Which other social media platforms are popular among Gen Z?

Published

5 hours ago

September 13, 2024

Kayla Zhu

Gen Z’s Top Social Media Platforms

This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.

Growing up as “digital natives,” Gen Zs have adopted a diverse range of social media platforms in their daily lives, ranging from niche interest websites like Pinterest to major social networks like Instagram and Facebook.

Over one-third of American Gen Zs spend over four hours a day on social media, according to a Morning Consult survey.

This chart visualizes the share of U.S. adults aged 18 to 29 that have used various social media platforms in 2023.

The data comes from a Pew Research survey conducted between May to September 2023.

What are Gen Z’s Favorite Social Media Platforms?

Below, we show the share of U.S. adults between the ages of 18 and 29 that have used the following social media platforms.

Platform	Share of U.S. adults (aged 18-29) who say they ever use...
YouTube	93%
Instagram	78%
Facebook	67%
Snapchat	65%
TikTok	62%
Pinterest	45%
Reddit	44%
X / Twitter	42%
LinkedIn	32%
WhatsApp	32%
BeReal	12%

Video-sharing platforms like YouTube and TikTok are highly favored by Gen Z, with both long-form and short-form content being widely consumed.

Watching videos, both streamed and downloaded, is the most common way Gen Zs spend their time online, according to EMARKETER. Over 96% of American Gen Zs watch videos online at least once a month.

Preferences for YouTube and TikTok are also seen among the younger half of Gen Z, as seen in this graphic. Over 38% of American teens between the ages of 13 and 17 use YouTube several times a day, and about one-third use TikTok several times a day.

Instagram and Snapchat are also particularly popular among younger adults, reflecting their strong preference for visual content.

Although only 12% of younger adults use BeReal, it is far more popular with them compared to older age groups. Just 3% of adults aged 30-49 use the app, and only 1% of those aged 50-64 have tried it.

While these platforms might just seem like social and entertainment hubs, they’re becoming information resources for younger generations as well, with over half of Gen Z choosing TikTok over Google as their preferred search engine, according to a Her Campus survey.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

To learn more about how Gen Zs spend their time online, check out this graphic that visualizes what forms of digital entertainment U.S. Gen Zs engage in the most.