Demographics
Ranked: The Most Populous Cities in the World
Published
1 month agoon
By
Avery Koop
Ranked: The Most Populous Cities in the World
More than half of the world’s population currently lives in cities—and as time goes on, it’s clear that more urban dwellers will find themselves living in megacities.
Megacities are defined as urban areas with a population of more than 10 million people. This means that the world’s top 20 most populous cities are all megacities.
This visualization, using data from Macrotrends, shows the 20 most populous cities in the world.
Rapid Urbanization
Today, more than 80% of people in higher income countries find themselves living in urban areas, and in upper-middle income countries the number lies between 50-80%.
Rural-to-urban migration is an increasingly relevant trend in the 21st century. Prospects of better job opportunities and higher wages, along with shifts from agrarian to industrial and service-based economies, are causing mass movement to cities.
How much have the world’s five most populous cities grown in just the last decade?
Rank | City | 2010 Population | 2020 Population | Percentage Change |
---|---|---|---|---|
#1 | 🇯🇵 Tokyo | 36,834,000 | 37,393,000 | +1.5% |
#2 | 🇮🇳 Delhi | 21,935,000 | 30,291,000 | +38.1% |
#3 | 🇨🇳 Shanghai | 19,980,000 | 27,058,000 | +35.4% |
#4 | 🇧🇷 São Paulo | 19,660,000 | 22,043,000 | +12.1% |
#5 | 🇲🇽 Mexico City | 20,132,000 | 21,782,000 | +8.2% |
While Tokyo only gained 559,000 people between 2010 and 2020, Delhi gained over 8 million people in the same time frame.
Shanghai grew by over 7 million people. Meanwhile, São Paulo grew by more than 2 million, and Mexico City gained just over 1.6 million people.
Interestingly, Mexico City placed third on the top largest cities list in 2010, but has since experienced slower growth compared to its competitors, Shanghai and São Paulo.
The Most Populous Cities Today
While Tokyo is the world’s most populous city with 37,393,000 people, this number is leveling out due to declining birth rates and an aging population.
Indian and Chinese cities, on the other hand, will continue to grow rapidly in the coming years. In fact, it’s expected that Delhi’s population could surpass Tokyo’s by 2028.
Here’s a closer look at the top 20 most populous cities.
Rank | City | Population |
---|---|---|
1 | 🇯🇵 Tokyo | 37,393,000 |
2 | 🇮🇳 Delhi | 30,291,000 |
3 | 🇨🇳 Shanghai | 27,058,000 |
4 | 🇧🇷 São Paulo | 22,043,000 |
5 | 🇲🇽 Mexico City | 21,782,000 |
6 | 🇧🇩 Dhaka | 21,006,000 |
7 | 🇪🇬 Cairo | 20,901,000 |
8 | 🇨🇳 Beijing | 20,463,000 |
9 | 🇮🇳 Mumbai | 20,411,000 |
10 | 🇯🇵 Osaka | 19,165,000 |
11 | 🇺🇸 New York City | 18,804,000 |
12 | 🇵🇰 Karachi | 16,094,000 |
13 | 🇨🇳 Chongqing | 15,872,000 |
14 | 🇹🇷 Istanbul | 15,190,000 |
15 | 🇦🇷 Buenos Aires | 15,154,000 |
16 | 🇮🇳 Calcutta | 14,850,000 |
17 | 🇳🇬 Lagos | 14,368,000 |
18 | 🇨🇩 Kinshasa | 14,342,000 |
19 | 🇵🇭 Manila | 13,923,000 |
20 | 🇨🇳 Tianjin | 13,580,000 |
By 2035, two new cities are expected to crack the top 20 list. Specifically, it’s projected that Bangalore (India) and Lahore (Pakistan) will boot out Tianjin and Buenos Aires. In addition, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Chennai are all expected to meet the megacity definition by 2035.
Urban growth will continue mainly in Asia and Africa, as some cities in regions such as Europe actually begin to shrink in population due to aging citizens and declining birth rates. Since 2012, deaths in the EU have actually been outpacing births—and in 2019, there were 4.7 million deaths compared to 4.2 million births, though net migration kept population numbers from falling.
Life in the City
While there are certainly downsides to mass urbanization, like pollution and overcrowding, the upsides clearly outweigh the negatives for most people. Convenience, better jobs, easier access to social services, and higher wages are among the many reasons people are likely to continue to move to cities, even in the post-COVID era.
With the emergence of smart and green cities, the quality of life for many urban dwellers will likely continue to improve, and more large urban areas will morph into megacities.
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Markets
The Population of China in Perspective
China is the world’s most populous country. But how does the population of China compare to the rest of the world?
Published
4 days agoon
February 22, 2021
The Population of China in Perspective
China is the world’s most populous country with an astounding 1.44 billion citizens. Altogether, the size of the population of China is larger than nearly four regions combined: South America, Europe (excluding Russia), the U.S. & Canada, and Australia & New Zealand.
Using data from the United Nations, this unconventional map reveals the comparative size of China’s population next to a multitude of other countries.
Note: To keep the visualization easy to read, we’ve simplified the shapes representing countries. For example, although we’ve included Alaska and Hawaii in U.S. population totals, the U.S. is represented by the contiguous states map only.
A Historical Perspective
Looking at history, the population of China has more than doubled since the 1950s. The country was the first in the world to hit one billion people in 1980.
However, in 1979, in an attempt to control the burgeoning population, the infamous one-child policy was introduced, putting controls on how many children Chinese citizens could have.
While the government eventually recognized the negative implications of this policy, it appeared to be too little, too late. The two-child policy was introduced in 2016, but it has not yet reversed the current slowdown in population growth.
Year | China's Population (Millions) | Annual Rate of Growth (%) | Median Age | Fertility Rate |
---|---|---|---|---|
1955 | 612.2 | 2.00% | 22.2 | 6.11 |
1960 | 660.4 | 1.53% | 21.3 | 5.48 |
1965 | 724.2 | 1.86% | 19.8 | 6.15 |
1970 | 827.6 | 2.70% | 19.3 | 6.30 |
1975 | 926.2 | 2.28% | 20.3 | 4.85 |
1980 | 1,000.1 | 1.55% | 21.9 | 3.01 |
1985 | 1,075.6 | 1.47% | 23.5 | 2.52 |
1990 | 1,176.9 | 1.82% | 24.9 | 2.73 |
1995 | 1,240.9 | 1.07% | 27.4 | 1.83 |
2000 | 1,290.6 | 0.79% | 30.0 | 1.62 |
2005 | 1,330.8 | 0.62% | 32.6 | 1.61 |
2010 | 1,368.8 | 0.57% | 35.0 | 1.62 |
2015 | 1,406.8 | 0.55% | 36.7 | 1.64 |
2016 | 1,414.0 | 0.51% | 37.0 | 1.65 |
2017 | 1,421.0 | 0.49% | 37.0 | 1.65 |
2018 | 1,427.6 | 0.47% | 37.0 | 1.65 |
2019 | 1,433.8 | 0.43% | 37.0 | 1.65 |
2020 | 1,439.3 | 0.39% | 38.4 | 1.69 |
The fertility rate has been consistently falling from over 6 births per woman in 1955 to 1.69 in 2020. Today, the median age in China is 38 years old, rising from 22 in 1955. Longer life spans and fewer births form a demographic trend that has many social and economic implications.
Overall, China’s young population is becoming scarcer, meaning that the domestic labor market will eventually begin shrinking. Additionally, the larger share of elderly citizens will require publicly-funded resources, resulting in a heavier societal and financial burden.
Strength in Numbers
Despite these trends, however, China’s current population remains massive, constituting almost 20% of the world’s total population. Right now 71% of the Chinese population is between the ages of 15 and 65 years old, meaning that the labor supply is still immense.
Here are the populations of 65 countries from various regions of the world—and added together, you’ll see they still fall short of the population of China:
Country | Population | Region |
---|---|---|
🇺🇸 U.S. | 331,002,651 | North America |
🇨🇦 Canada | 37,742,154 | North America |
🇧🇷 Brazil | 212,559,417 | South America |
🇨🇴 Colombia | 50,882,891 | South America |
🇦🇷 Argentina | 45,195,774 | South America |
🇵🇪 Peru | 32,971,854 | South America |
🇻🇪 Venezuela | 28,435,940 | South America |
🇨🇱 Chile | 19,116,201 | South America |
🇪🇨 Ecuador | 17,643,054 | South America |
🇧🇴 Bolivia | 11,673,021 | South America |
🇵🇾 Paraguay | 7,132,538 | South America |
🇺🇾 Uruguay | 3,473,730 | South America |
🇬🇾 Guyana | 786,552 | South America |
🇸🇷 Suriname | 586,632 | South America |
🇬🇫 French Guyana | 298,682 | South America |
🇫🇰 Falkland Islands | 3,480 | South America |
🇦🇺 Australia | 25,499,884 | Oceania |
🇳🇿 New Zealand | 4,822,233 | Oceania |
🇩🇪 Germany | 83,783,942 | Europe |
🇫🇷 France | 65,273,511 | Europe |
🇳🇱 Netherlands | 17,134,872 | Europe |
🇧🇪 Belgium | 11,589,623 | Europe |
🇦🇹 Austria | 9,006,398 | Europe |
🇨🇭 Switzerland | 8,654,622 | Europe |
🇱🇺 Luxembourg | 625,978 | Europe |
🇲🇨 Monaco | 39,242 | Europe |
🇱🇮 Liechtenstein | 38,128 | Europe |
🇮🇹 Italy | 60,461,826 | Europe |
🇪🇸 Spain | 46,754,778 | Europe |
🇬🇷 Greece | 10,423,054 | Europe |
🇵🇹 Portugal | 10,196,709 | Europe |
🇷🇸 Serbia | 8,737,371 | Europe |
🇭🇷 Croatia | 4,105,267 | Europe |
🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina | 3,280,819 | Europe |
🇦🇱 Albania | 2,877,797 | Europe |
🇲🇰 North Macedonia | 2,083,374 | Europe |
🇸🇮 Slovenia | 2,078,938 | Europe |
🇲🇪 Montenegro | 628,066 | Europe |
🇲🇹 Malta | 441,543 | Europe |
🇦🇩 Andorra | 77,265 | Europe |
🇸🇲 San Marino | 33,931 | Europe |
🇬🇮 Gibraltar | 33,691 | Europe |
🇻🇦 Vatican City | 801 | Europe |
🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 67,886,011 | Europe |
🇸🇪 Sweden | 10,099,265 | Europe |
🇩🇰 Denmark | 5,792,202 | Europe |
🇫🇮 Finland | 5,540,720 | Europe |
🇳🇴 Norway | 5,421,241 | Europe |
🇮🇪 Ireland | 4,937,786 | Europe |
🇱🇹 Lithuania | 2,722,289 | Europe |
🇱🇻 Latvia | 1,886,198 | Europe |
🇪🇪 Estonia | 1,326,535 | Europe |
🇮🇸 Iceland | 341,243 | Europe |
Channel Islands | 173,863 | Europe |
🇮🇲 Isle of Man | 85,033 | Europe |
🇫🇴 Faroe Islands | 48,863 | Europe |
🇺🇦 Ukraine | 43,733,762 | Europe |
🇵🇱 Poland | 37,846,611 | Europe |
🇷🇴 Romania | 19,237,691 | Europe |
🇨🇿 Czechia | 10,708,981 | Europe |
🇭🇺 Hungary | 9,660,351 | Europe |
🇧🇾 Belarus | 9,449,323 | Europe |
🇧🇬 Bulgaria | 6,948,445 | Europe |
🇸🇰 Slovakia | 5,459,642 | Europe |
🇲🇩 Moldova | 4,033,963 | Europe |
Total | 1,431,528,252 |
To break it down even further, here’s a look at the population of each of the regions listed above:
- Australia and New Zealand: 30.3 million
- Europe (excluding Russia): 601.7 million
- South America: 430.8 million
- The U.S. and Canada: 368.7 million
Combined their population is 1.432 billion compared to China’s 1.439 billion.
Overall, the population of China has few comparables. India is one exception, with a population of 1.38 billion. As a continent, Africa comes in close as well at 1.34 billion people. Here’s a breakdown of Africa’s population for further comparison.
Country | Population | Region |
---|---|---|
🇳🇬 Nigeria | 206,139,589 | Africa |
🇬🇭 Ghana | 31,072,940 | Africa |
🇨🇮 Côte d'Ivoire | 26,378,274 | Africa |
🇳🇪 Niger | 24,206,644 | Africa |
🇧🇫 Burkina Faso | 20,903,273 | Africa |
🇲🇱 Mali | 20,250,833 | Africa |
🇸🇳 Senegal | 16,743,927 | Africa |
🇬🇳 Guinea | 13,132,795 | Africa |
🇧🇯 Benin | 12,123,200 | Africa |
🇹🇬 Togo | 8,278,724 | Africa |
🇸🇱 Sierra Leone | 7,976,983 | Africa |
🇱🇷 Liberia | 5,057,681 | Africa |
🇲🇷 Mauritania | 4,649,658 | Africa |
🇬🇲 Gambia | 2,416,668 | Africa |
🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau | 1,968,001 | Africa |
🇨🇻 Cabo Verde | 555,987 | Africa |
🇸🇭 Saint Helena | 6,077 | Africa |
🇿🇦 South Africa | 59,308,690 | Africa |
🇳🇦 Namibia | 2,540,905 | Africa |
🇧🇼 Botswana | 2,351,627 | Africa |
🇱🇸 Lesotho | 2,142,249 | Africa |
🇸🇿 Eswatini | 1,160,164 | Africa |
🇪🇬 Egypt | 102,334,404 | Africa |
🇩🇿 Algeria | 43,851,044 | Africa |
🇸🇩 Sudan | 43,849,260 | Africa |
🇲🇦 Morocco | 36,910,560 | Africa |
🇹🇳 Tunisia | 11,818,619 | Africa |
🇱🇾 Libya | 6,871,292 | Africa |
🇪🇭 Western Sahara | 597,339 | Africa |
🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo | 89,561,403 | Africa |
🇦🇴 Angola | 32,866,272 | Africa |
🇨🇲 Cameroon | 26,545,863 | Africa |
🇹🇩 Chad | 16,425,864 | Africa |
🇨🇬 Congo | 5,518,087 | Africa |
🇨🇫 Central African Republic | 4,829,767 | Africa |
🇬🇦 Gabon | 2,225,734 | Africa |
🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea | 1,402,985 | Africa |
🇸🇹 Sao Tome and Principe | 219,159 | Africa |
🇪🇹 Ethiopia | 114,963,588 | Africa |
🇹🇿 Tanzania | 59,734,218 | Africa |
🇰🇪 Kenya | 53,771,296 | Africa |
🇺🇬 Uganda | 45,741,007 | Africa |
🇲🇿 Mozambique | 31,255,435 | Africa |
🇲🇬 Madagascar | 27,691,018 | Africa |
🇲🇼 Malawi | 19,129,952 | Africa |
🇿🇲 Zambia | 18,383,955 | Africa |
🇸🇴 Somalia | 15,893,222 | Africa |
🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | 14,862,924 | Africa |
🇷🇼 Rwanda | 12,952,218 | Africa |
🇧🇮 Burundi | 11,890,784 | Africa |
🇸🇸 South Sudan | 11,193,725 | Africa |
🇪🇷 Eritrea | 3,546,421 | Africa |
🇲🇺 Mauritius | 1,271,768 | Africa |
🇩🇯 Djibouti | 988,000 | Africa |
🇷🇪 Réunion | 895,312 | Africa |
🇰🇲 Comoros | 869,601 | Africa |
🇾🇹 Mayotte | 272,815 | Africa |
🇸🇨 Seychelles | 98,347 | Africa |
Total | 1,340,598,147 |
Future Outlook on the Population of China
Whether or not China’s population growth is slowing appears to be less relevant when looking at its sheer size. While India is expected to match the country’s population by 2026, China will remain one of the world’s largest economic powerhouses regardless.
It is estimated, however, that the population of China will drop below one billion people by the year 2100—bumping the nation to third place in the ranking of the world’s most populous countries. At the same time, it’s possible that China’s economic dominance may be challenged by these same demographic tailwinds as time moves forward.
Markets
Mapping the World’s Youngest and Oldest Countries
Higher life expectancies and lower fertility rates are reshaping global demographics, but vast regional differences remain. Where are the youngest and oldest countries in the world?
Published
2 weeks agoon
February 12, 2021
Mapping the World’s Youngest and Oldest Countries
Country age demographics are determined by two key factors: fertility and mortality.
Throughout history, it was typical to see both birth and death rates at higher levels. But today, in most parts of the world, women are having fewer children, and innovations in healthcare and technology mean we are all living longer. The average person today lives to 72.6 years old, while the rate of births per woman has fallen to 2.5.
These trends have drastically altered the demographics of mature economies, resulting in a much older population. In many developing countries, however, births still outweigh deaths, resulting in populations that skew younger.
This visualization uses data from the World Bank to examine the countries with the highest shares of old and young people.
The Fountain of Youth
By 2030, the United Nations estimates there will be 1.3 billion people on the planet between the ages of 15-24. Proving to be a fountain of youth globally, the continent of Africa boasts the top 10 countries with the largest shares of young people in the world.
Somalia, Zambia, and the DRC are just a few to crack the top 10 list. The youngest country in the world is Niger, where almost 50% of the population is below the age of 15.
Here’s a full list of global countries, sorted by percentage of population under 15 years old:
Country | Share of Population Younger Than 15 (% of total, 2019) |
---|---|
🇳🇪 Niger | 49.8% |
🇲🇱 Mali | 47.3% |
🇹🇩 Chad | 46.8% |
🇦🇴 Angola | 46.6% |
🇺🇬 Uganda | 46.5% |
🇸🇴 Somalia | 46.4% |
🇨🇩 Congo, Dem. Rep. | 46.0% |
🇧🇮 Burundi | 45.4% |
🇧🇫 Burkina Faso | 44.7% |
🇿🇲 Zambia | 44.5% |
🇲🇿 Mozambique | 44.4% |
🇬🇲 The Gambia | 44.1% |
🇹🇿 Tanzania | 43.8% |
🇳🇬 Nigeria | 43.7% |
🇲🇼 Malawi | 43.5% |
🇬🇳 Guinea | 43.4% |
🇸🇳 Senegal | 42.8% |
🇦🇫 Afghanistan | 42.5% |
🇨🇲 Cameroon | 42.4% |
🇧🇯 Benin | 42.2% |
🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau | 42.2% |
🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | 42.2% |
🇸🇹 Sao Tome and Principe | 42.1% |
🇨🇮 Cote d'Ivoire | 41.7% |
🇸🇸 South Sudan | 41.6% |
🇨🇬 Congo | 41.5% |
🇹🇬 Togo | 41.0% |
🇱🇷 Liberia | 40.8% |
🇸🇱 Sierra Leone | 40.7% |
🇲🇬 Madagascar | 40.4% |
🇪🇹 Ethiopia | 40.3% |
🇸🇩 Sudan | 40.2% |
🇸🇧 Solomon Islands | 40.1% |
🇲🇷 Mauritania | 39.9% |
🇷🇼 Rwanda | 39.8% |
🇰🇲 Comoros | 39.3% |
🇰🇪 Kenya | 39.2% |
🇾🇪 Yemen | 39.2% |
🇻🇺 Vanuatu | 38.7% |
🇮🇶 Iraq | 38.0% |
🇼🇸 Samoa | 37.9% |
🇸🇿 Eswatini | 37.8% |
🇬🇭 Ghana | 37.4% |
🇹🇱 Timor-Leste | 37.3% |
🇬🇦 Gabon | 37.2% |
🇹🇯 Tajikistan | 37.1% |
🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea | 37.0% |
🇳🇦 Namibia | 36.9% |
🇰🇮 Kiribati | 35.8% |
🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea | 35.5% |
🇵🇰 Pakistan | 35.1% |
🇹🇴Tonga | 35.1% |
🇬🇹 Guatemala | 33.9% |
🇧🇼 Botswana | 33.8% |
🇪🇬 Egypt | 33.8% |
🇯🇴 Jordan | 33.6% |
🇭🇹 Haiti | 32.9% |
🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan | 32.5% |
🇱🇸 Lesotho | 32.5% |
🇱🇦 Laos | 32.3% |
🇫🇲 Micronesia | 31.5% |
🇭🇳 Honduras | 31.2% |
🇰🇭 Cambodia | 31.1% |
🇸🇾 Syria | 31.1% |
🇲🇳 Mongolia | 30.8% |
🇹🇲 Turkmenistan | 30.8% |
🇧🇴 Bolivia | 30.6% |
🇩🇿 Algeria | 30.6% |
🇵🇭 Philippines | 30.5% |
🇳🇮 Nicaragua | 29.9% |
🇧🇿 Belize | 29.7% |
🇳🇵 Nepal | 29.6% |
🇫🇯 Fiji | 29.3% |
🇩🇯 Djibouti | 29.2% |
🇵🇾 Paraguay | 29.2% |
🇿🇦 South Africa | 29.0% |
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan | 28.9% |
🇺🇿 Uzbekistan | 28.8% |
🇨🇻 Cape Verde | 28.4% |
🇱🇾 Libya | 28.1% |
🇬🇾 Guyana | 27.9% |
🇮🇱 Israel | 27.9% |
🇩🇴 Dominican Republic | 27.7% |
🇪🇨 Ecuador | 27.7% |
🇻🇪 Venezuela | 27.4% |
🇧🇩 Bangladesh | 27.2% |
🇲🇦 Morocco | 27.0% |
🇸🇻 El Salvador | 26.9% |
🇸🇷 Suriname | 26.9% |
🇵🇦 Panama | 26.8% |
🇮🇳 India | 26.6% |
🇮🇩 Indonesia | 26.2% |
🇲🇽 Mexico | 26.2% |
🇲🇲 Myanmar | 25.9% |
🇱🇧 Lebanon | 25.6% |
🇧🇹 Bhutan | 25.3% |
🇵🇪 Peru | 25.3% |
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia | 24.9% |
🇮🇷 Iran | 24.7% |
🇦🇷 Argentina | 24.6% |
🇹🇷 Turkey | 24.3% |
🇹🇳 Tunisia | 24.2% |
🇬🇺 Guam | 24.1% |
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | 24.0% |
🇬🇩 Grenada | 23.7% |
🇲🇾 Malaysia | 23.7% |
🇸🇨 Seychelles | 23.7% |
🇯🇲 Jamaica | 23.5% |
🇦🇿Azerbaijan | 23.4% |
🇻🇳 Vietnam | 23.2% |
🇧🇳 Brunei | 22.6% |
🇨🇴 Colombia | 22.6% |
🇵🇫 French Polynesia | 22.6% |
🇳🇨 New Caledonia | 22.4% |
🇴🇲 Oman | 22.4% |
🇻🇨 St. Vincent and the Grenadines | 22.2% |
🇧🇸 Bahamas | 22.1% |
🇦🇬 Antigua and Barbuda | 22.0% |
🇰🇼 Kuwait | 21.6% |
🇮🇪 Ireland | 21.2% |
🇨🇷 Costa Rica | 21.1% |
🇧🇷 Brazil | 21.0% |
🇦🇲 Armenia | 20.8% |
🇺🇾 Uruguay | 20.5% |
🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago | 20.3% |
🇬🇪 Georgia | 20.0% |
🇰🇵 North Korea | 20.0% |
🇲🇻 Maldives | 19.9% |
🇮🇸 Iceland | 19.6% |
🇳🇿 New Zealand | 19.6% |
🇨🇱 Chile | 19.5% |
🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands | 19.5% |
🇦🇺 Australia | 19.3% |
🇧🇭 Bahrain | 18.7% |
🇨🇼 Curacao | 18.5% |
🇺🇸 United States | 18.5% |
🇱🇨 St. Lucia | 18.2% |
🇲🇪 Montenegro | 18.2% |
🇷🇺 Russia | 18.2% |
🇨🇳 China | 17.8% |
🇫🇷 France | 17.8% |
🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 17.7% |
🇦🇼 Aruba | 17.6% |
🇸🇪 Sweden | 17.6% |
🇦🇱 Albania | 17.4% |
🇳🇴 Norway | 17.4% |
🇲🇺 Mauritius | 17.3% |
🇧🇪 Belgium | 17.1% |
🇧🇧 Barbados | 17.1% |
🇧🇾 Belarus | 17.0% |
🇹🇭 Thailand | 16.8% |
🇨🇾 Cyprus | 16.7% |
🇪🇪 Estonia | 16.5% |
🇩🇰 Denmark | 16.4% |
🇲🇰 North Macedonia | 16.4% |
🇱🇻 Latvia | 16.3% |
🇵🇷 Puerto Rico | 16.3% |
🇨🇺 Cuba | 16.0% |
🇫🇮 Finland | 16.0% |
🇲🇩 Moldova | 15.9% |
🇳🇱 Netherlands | 15.9% |
🇺🇦 Ukraine | 15.9% |
🇨🇦 Canada | 15.8% |
🇨🇿 Czech Republic | 15.7% |
🇱🇺 Luxembourg | 15.7% |
🇷🇴 Romania | 15.6% |
🇷🇸 Serbia | 15.5% |
🇸🇰 Slovakia | 15.5% |
🇵🇱 Poland | 15.2% |
Channel Islands | 15.1% |
🇱🇹 Lithuania | 15.1% |
🇸🇮 Slovenia | 15.1% |
🇨🇭 Switzerland | 14.9% |
🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates | 14.7% |
🇧🇬 Bulgaria | 14.7% |
🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina | 14.7% |
🇪🇸 Spain | 14.6% |
🇭🇷 Croatia | 14.6% |
🇦🇹 Austria | 14.4% |
🇭🇺 Hungary | 14.4% |
🇲🇹 Malta | 14.3% |
🇲🇴 Macao SAR, China | 14.0% |
🇬🇷 Greece | 13.9% |
🇩🇪 Germany | 13.8% |
🇶🇦 Qatar | 13.6% |
🇵🇹 Portugal | 13.3% |
🇮🇹 Italy | 13.2% |
🇰🇷 South Korea | 12.7% |
🇯🇵 Japan | 12.6% |
🇭🇰 Hong Kong SAR, China | 12.3% |
🇸🇬 Singapore | 12.3% |
Young countries have significant opportunities ahead of them. A younger population means a larger upcoming workforce and more opportunities for innovation and economic growth.
While domestic markets in Africa grow in terms of labor supply, innovation, and potential consumers, there are also challenges that arise in these countries. Corruption, political instability and unemployment, particularly in Africa, are all potential barriers to prosperity for the continent’s Gen Z population.
Populations Skewing Older
The world’s oldest country is Japan, where 28% of the population is older than 65. However, it’s an anomaly—the rest of the oldest countries in the top 10 are all in Europe.
Globally, it’s the 65+ age group that is growing the fastest. According to the same UN estimates, it is predicted that by 2050 that one in six people will be over 65 years old.
Here’s a full list of global countries, sorted by percentage of population over 65 years old:
Country | Share of Population Older Than 65 (% of total, 2019) |
---|---|
🇯🇵 Japan | 28.0% |
🇮🇹 Italy | 23.0% |
🇵🇹 Portugal | 22.4% |
🇫🇮 Finland | 22.1% |
🇬🇷 Greece | 21.9% |
🇩🇪 Germany | 21.5% |
🇧🇬 Bulgaria | 21.2% |
🇭🇷 Croatia | 20.8% |
🇲🇹 Malta | 20.8% |
🇫🇷 France | 20.3% |
🇱🇻 Latvia | 20.3% |
🇸🇪 Sweden | 20.1% |
🇸🇮 Slovenia | 20.1% |
🇱🇹 Lithuania | 20.1% |
🇪🇪 Estonia | 19.9% |
🇩🇰 Denmark | 19.9% |
🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands | 19.8% |
🇨🇿 Czech Republic | 19.8% |
🇵🇷 Puerto Rico | 19.6% |
🇭🇺 Hungary | 19.6% |
🇪🇸 Spain | 19.6% |
🇳🇱 Netherlands | 19.6% |
🇦🇹 Austria | 19.0% |
🇧🇪 Belgium | 19.0% |
🇨🇭 Switzerland | 18.8% |
🇷🇴 Romania | 18.7% |
🇷🇸 Serbia | 18.7% |
🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 18.5% |
🇵🇱 Poland | 18.1% |
🇨🇦 Canada | 17.6% |
Channel Islands | 17.6% |
🇭🇰 Hong Kong SAR, China | 17.4% |
🇳🇴 Norway | 17.2% |
🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina | 17.2% |
🇨🇼 Curaçao | 17.1% |
🇺🇦 Ukraine | 16.7% |
🇧🇧 Barbados | 16.2% |
🇺🇸 United States | 16.2% |
🇸🇰 Slovakia | 16.1% |
🇳🇿 New Zealand | 15.9% |
🇦🇺 Australia | 15.9% |
🇨🇺 Cuba | 15.5% |
🇲🇪 Montenegro | 15.3% |
🇧🇾 Belarus | 15.2% |
🇮🇸 Iceland | 15.1% |
🇷🇺 Russia | 15.0% |
🇬🇪 Georgia | 15.0% |
🇰🇷 South Korea | 15.0% |
🇺🇾 Uruguay | 14.9% |
🇱🇺 Luxembourg | 14.2% |
🇮🇪 Ireland | 14.2% |
🇦🇱 Albania | 14.2% |
🇲🇰 North Macedonia | 14.0% |
🇦🇼 Aruba | 14.0% |
🇨🇾 Cyprus | 14.0% |
🇹🇭 Thailand | 12.4% |
🇸🇬 Singapore | 12.3% |
🇮🇱 Israel | 12.2% |
🇲🇩 Moldova | 12.0% |
🇲🇺 Mauritius | 11.9% |
🇨🇱 Chile | 11.8% |
🇦🇲 Armenia | 11.4% |
🇨🇳 China | 11.4% |
🇦🇷 Argentina | 11.2% |
🇲🇴 Macao SAR, China | 11.2% |
🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago | 11.1% |
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | 10.8% |
🇬🇺 Guam | 10.1% |
🇱🇨 St. Lucia | 10.0% |
🇨🇷 Costa Rica | 9.8% |
🇻🇨 St. Vincent and the Grenadines | 9.7% |
🇬🇩 Grenada | 9.6% |
🇳🇨 New Caledonia | 9.4% |
🇰🇵 North Korea | 9.2% |
🇧🇷 Brazil | 9.2% |
🇦🇬 Antigua and Barbuda | 9.0% |
🇯🇲 Jamaica | 8.9% |
🇨🇴 Colombia | 8.7% |
🇹🇷 Turkey | 8.7% |
🇵🇫 French Polynesia | 8.6% |
🇹🇳 Tunisia | 8.5% |
🇸🇻 El Salvador | 8.4% |
🇵🇪 Peru | 8.3% |
🇵🇦 Panama | 8.3% |
🇸🇨 Seychelles | 7.8% |
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan | 7.6% |
🇻🇪 Venezuela | 7.6% |
🇻🇳 Vietnam | 7.5% |
🇧🇸 Bahamas | 7.4% |
🇲🇽 Mexico | 7.4% |
🇪🇨 Ecuador | 7.3% |
🇧🇴 Bolivia | 7.3% |
🇲🇦 Morocco | 7.3% |
🇩🇴 Dominican Republic | 7.2% |
🇱🇧 Lebanon | 7.2% |
🇸🇷 Suriname | 7.0% |
🇲🇾 Malaysia | 6.9% |
🇬🇾 Guyana | 6.7% |
🇵🇾 Paraguay | 6.6% |
🇩🇿 Algeria | 6.5% |
🇦🇿 Azerbaijan | 6.4% |
🇮🇳 India | 6.3% |
🇮🇷 Iran | 6.3% |
🇧🇹 Bhutan | 6.0% |
🇮🇩 Indonesia | 6.0% |
🇲🇲 Myanmar | 6.0% |
🇹🇴 Tonga | 5.9% |
🇳🇵 Nepal | 5.7% |
🇫🇯 Fiji | 5.6% |
🇳🇮 Nicaragua | 5.4% |
🇿🇦 South Africa | 5.4% |
🇵🇭 Philippines | 5.3% |
🇪🇬 Egypt | 5.2% |
🇧🇳 Brunei | 5.2% |
🇧🇩 Bangladesh | 5.1% |
🇭🇹 Haiti | 5.0% |
🇼🇸 Samoa | 4.9% |
🇬🇹 Guatemala | 4.9% |
🇱🇸 Lesotho | 4.9% |
🇧🇿 Belize | 4.8% |
🇭🇳 Honduras | 4.8% |
🇰🇭 Cambodia | 4.7% |
🇨🇻 Cape Verde | 4.6% |
🇸🇾 Syria | 4.6% |
🇩🇯 Djibouti | 4.6% |
🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan | 4.6% |
🇺🇿 Uzbekistan | 4.5% |
🇹🇲 Turkmenistan | 4.5% |
🇱🇾 Libya | 4.4% |
🇧🇼 Botswana | 4.3% |
🇵🇰 Pakistan | 4.3% |
🇹🇱 Timor-Leste | 4.2% |
🇫🇲 Micronesia | 4.1% |
🇲🇳 Mongolia | 4.1% |
🇱🇦 Laos | 4.1% |
🇰🇮 Kiribati | 4.0% |
🇸🇿 Eswatini | 4.0% |
🇯🇴 Jordan | 3.8% |
🇲🇻 Maldives | 3.6% |
🇸🇧 Solomon Islands | 3.6% |
🇸🇩 Sudan | 3.6% |
🇻🇺 Vanuatu | 3.6% |
🇳🇦 Namibia | 3.6% |
🇬🇦 Gabon | 3.5% |
🇪🇹 Ethiopia | 3.5% |
🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea | 3.5% |
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia | 3.4% |
🇮🇶 Iraq | 3.3% |
🇸🇸 South Sudan | 3.3% |
🇱🇷 Liberia | 3.2% |
🇧🇯 Benin | 3.2% |
🇲🇷 Mauritania | 3.1% |
🇸🇳 Senegal | 3.0% |
🇬🇭 Ghana | 3.0% |
🇹🇯 Tajikistan | 3.0% |
🇰🇲 Comoros | 3.0% |
🇲🇬 Madagascar | 3.0% |
🇷🇼 Rwanda | 3.0% |
🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo | 3.0% |
🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | 2.9% |
🇸🇹 Sao Tome and Principe | 2.9% |
🇸🇱 Sierra Leone | 2.9% |
🇬🇳 Guinea | 2.9% |
🇾🇪 Yemen | 2.9% |
🇸🇴 Somalia | 2.8% |
🇹🇬 Togo | 2.8% |
🇲🇿 Mozambique | 2.8% |
🇨🇮 Cote d'Ivoire | 2.8% |
🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau | 2.8% |
🇨🇫 Central African Republic | 2.8% |
🇰🇼 Kuwait | 2.7% |
🇳🇬 Nigeria | 2.7% |
🇨🇲 Cameroon | 2.7% |
🇨🇬 Congo | 2.7% |
🇲🇼 Malawi | 2.6% |
🇹🇿 Tanzania | 2.6% |
🇦🇫 Afghanistan | 2.6% |
🇳🇪 Niger | 2.5% |
🇬🇲 The Gambia | 2.5% |
🇧🇭 Bahrain | 2.5% |
🇲🇱 Mali | 2.4% |
🇹🇩 Chad | 2.4% |
🇴🇲 Oman | 2.4% |
🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea | 2.4% |
🇰🇪 Kenya | 2.4% |
🇧🇫 Burkina Faso | 2.4% |
🇧🇮 Burundi | 2.3% |
🇦🇴 Angola | 2.1% |
🇿🇲 Zambia | 2.1% |
🇺🇬 Uganda | 1.9% |
🇶🇦 Qatar | 1.5% |
🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates | 1.1% |
Fewer births, and a resulting older population, is a trend attributed to the changing lifestyles of women. For example, Japan’s fertility rate has fallen to less than 1.5 children per woman due to modern access to contraceptives and the prioritization of work over marriage and family life.
However, fewer young people also means a smaller workforce on the horizon and a shrinking domestic market. There is also a rising social cost of caring for the elderly, as longer lifespans have resulted in a higher prevalence of chronic diseases and an increasing inability to care for oneself. This can result in an increased tax burden on the diminishing younger, working population.
Another Perspective on the Data
Looking at the data from the opposite angle also reveals information about our world. Here’s a look at the countries with the lowest proportions of younger or older people.
Hong Kong and Singapore have some of the lowest fertility rates in the world (1.1), so it’s no surprise to see low numbers of children in their demographic data.
In a country like the United Arab Emirates, the majority of the population is made up of foreign workers, so the number of people in the 65+ age group is extremely low. In the coming decades though, the situation is expected to shift dramatically with one in every five Emiratis residing that age group by 2050.
The Big Picture
While each country has its own unique demographic make up, one thing is clear. As education and wealth levels rise around the world, fertility rates are dropping almost everywhere.
The trend of long life expectancies and fewer births is likely to continue, but young outliers will remain and they present immense economic potential.
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