Markets
Visualized: The World’s Population at 8 Billion
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Visualized: The World’s Population at 8 Billion
At some point in late 2022, the eight billionth human being will enter the world, ushering in a new milestone for humanity.
In just 48 years, the world population has doubled in size, jumping from four to eight billion. Of course, humans are not equally spread throughout the planet, and countries take all shapes and sizes. The visualizations in this article aim to build context on how the eight billion people are distributed around the world.
For extended coverage of this moment and what it means to the world, you can get access to our full report and webinar by signing up to VC+, our premium newsletter.
Now, here’s a look at each country’s population as of September 2022:
Global Rank | Country/Region | Population (2022) |
---|---|---|
1 | 🇨🇳 China | 1,451,832,064 |
2 | 🇮🇳 India | 1,410,982,243 |
3 | 🇺🇸 United States | 335,391,957 |
4 | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | 280,139,383 |
5 | 🇵🇰 Pakistan | 230,918,073 |
6 | 🇳🇬 Nigeria | 218,243,241 |
7 | 🇧🇷 Brazil | 215,986,577 |
8 | 🇧🇩 Bangladesh | 168,436,792 |
9 | 🇷🇺 Russia | 146,074,130 |
10 | 🇲🇽 Mexico | 132,030,739 |
11 | Japan | 125,619,457 |
12 | Ethiopia | 121,709,461 |
13 | Philippines | 112,939,493 |
14 | Egypt | 106,839,825 |
15 | Vietnam | 98,311,965 |
16 | Democratic Republic of Congo | 96,104,525 |
17 | Iran | 86,465,398 |
16 | Turkey | 86,415,852 |
19 | Germany | 84,385,892 |
20 | Thailand | 70,192,866 |
21 | United Kingdom | 68,691,253 |
22 | France | 65,597,276 |
23 | Tanzania | 63,802,882 |
24 | South Africa | 61,027,608 |
25 | Italy | 60,264,287 |
26 | Kenya | 56,557,929 |
27 | Myanmar | 55,236,333 |
28 | Colombia | 52,123,686 |
29 | South Korea | 51,367,770 |
30 | Uganda | 49,222,889 |
31 | Spain | 46,795,195 |
32 | Sudan | 46,265,964 |
33 | Argentina | 46,141,195 |
34 | Algeria | 45,695,757 |
35 | Ukraine | 43,156,242 |
36 | Iraq | 42,348,230 |
37 | Afghanistan | 40,993,541 |
38 | Canada | 38,495,773 |
39 | Morocco | 37,914,397 |
40 | Poland | 37,754,428 |
41 | Saudi Arabia | 36,069,266 |
42 | Angola | 35,327,540 |
43 | Uzbekistan | 34,589,376 |
44 | Peru | 34,031,086 |
45 | Mozambique | 33,346,961 |
46 | Malaysia | 33,319,730 |
47 | Ghana | 32,594,574 |
48 | Yemen | 31,371,445 |
49 | Nepal | 30,357,476 |
50 | Madagascar | 29,381,411 |
51 | Venezuela | 28,257,503 |
52 | Cameroon | 28,111,718 |
53 | Cote d'Ivoire | 27,925,649 |
54 | Niger | 26,344,186 |
55 | Australia | 26,178,342 |
56 | North Korea | 26,033,387 |
57 | Taiwan | 23,913,311 |
58 | Burkina Faso | 22,270,251 |
59 | Mali | 21,646,251 |
60 | Sri Lanka | 21,615,470 |
61 | Malawi | 20,304,147 |
62 | Chile | 19,489,734 |
63 | Zambia | 19,613,655 |
64 | Kazakhstan | 19,292,183 |
65 | Romania | 18,956,053 |
66 | Guatemala | 18,688,479 |
67 | Syria | 18,506,569 |
68 | Ecuador | 18,262,799 |
69 | Senegal | 17,793,385 |
70 | Chad | 17,553,601 |
71 | Cambodia | 17,252,457 |
72 | Netherlands | 17,219,859 |
73 | Somalia | 16,951,984 |
74 | Zimbabwe | 15,362,663 |
75 | Guinea | 13,981,705 |
76 | Rwanda | 13,712,855 |
77 | Benin | 12,878,142 |
78 | Burundi | 12,740,471 |
79 | Tunisia | 12,101,418 |
80 | Bolivia | 12,039,974 |
81 | Haiti | 11,721,737 |
82 | Belgium | 11,703,272 |
83 | South Sudan | 11,494,756 |
84 | Cuba | 11,311,223 |
85 | Dominican Republic | 11,096,411 |
86 | Czechia | 10,753,478 |
87 | Jordan | 10,434,463 |
88 | Azerbaijan | 10,347,430 |
89 | Greece | 10,310,847 |
90 | Honduras | 10,269,662 |
91 | Sweden | 10,241,804 |
92 | United Arab Emirates | 10,164,747 |
93 | Portugal | 10,130,876 |
94 | Hungary | 9,605,987 |
95 | Tajikistan | 10,042,202 |
96 | Belarus | 9,442,398 |
97 | Papua New Guinea | 9,342,727 |
98 | Austria | 9,122,566 |
99 | Israel | 8,969,013 |
100 | Switzerland | 8,798,256 |
101 | Togo | 8,737,152 |
102 | Serbia | 8,659,648 |
103 | Sierra Leone | 8,357,040 |
104 | Hong Kong SAR | 7,635,279 |
105 | Laos | 7,519,384 |
106 | Paraguay | 7,333,782 |
107 | Libya | 7,086,602 |
108 | Bulgaria | 6,833,885 |
109 | Nicaragua | 6,805,420 |
110 | Kyrgyzstan | 6,774,001 |
111 | Lebanon | 6,758,016 |
112 | El Salvador | 6,560,071 |
113 | Turkmenistan | 6,236,038 |
114 | Singapore | 5,954,898 |
115 | Congo | 5,839,721 |
116 | Denmark | 5,838,070 |
117 | Finland | 5,559,984 |
118 | Norway | 5,517,561 |
119 | Slovakia | 5,465,545 |
120 | Oman | 5,414,812 |
121 | Palestine | 5,381,277 |
122 | Liberia | 5,338,398 |
123 | Costa Rica | 5,200,150 |
124 | Ireland | 5,064,136 |
125 | Central African Republic | 5,025,077 |
126 | Mauritania | 4,940,298 |
127 | New Zealand | 4,911,293 |
128 | Panama | 4,472,108 |
129 | Kuwait | 4,416,533 |
130 | Croatia | 4,049,640 |
131 | Moldova | 4,013,174 |
132 | Georgia | 3,972,171 |
133 | Eritrea | 3,659,593 |
134 | Uruguay | 3,500,798 |
135 | Mongolia | 3,400,693 |
136 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 3,235,985 |
137 | Armenia | 2,975,648 |
138 | Qatar | 2,994,073 |
139 | Jamaica | 2,990,290 |
140 | Albania | 2,870,809 |
141 | Puerto Rico | 2,704,519 |
142 | Namibia | 2,648,122 |
143 | Lithuania | 2,640,339 |
144 | Gambia | 2,578,866 |
145 | Botswana | 2,462,832 |
146 | Gabon | 2,349,783 |
147 | Lesotho | 2,180,846 |
148 | North Macedonia | 2,083,183 |
149 | Slovenia | 2,079,575 |
150 | Guinea-Bissau | 2,077,878 |
151 | Bahrain | 1,845,321 |
152 | Latvia | 1,840,901 |
153 | Equatorial Guinea | 1,514,454 |
154 | Trinidad and Tobago | 1,409,672 |
155 | Timor | 1,377,091 |
156 | Estonia | 1,328,527 |
157 | Mauritius | 1,276,493 |
158 | Cyprus | 1,227,303 |
159 | Eswatini | 1,187,627 |
160 | Djibouti | 1,021,185 |
161 | Comoros | 913,105 |
162 | Fiji | 911,185 |
163 | Réunion | 909,806 |
164 | Guyana | 795,114 |
165 | Bhutan | 791,064 |
166 | Solomon Islands | 726,764 |
167 | Macao SAR | 669,734 |
168 | Luxembourg | 649,600 |
169 | Montenegro | 628,243 |
170 | Western Sahara | 632,115 |
171 | Suriname | 598,608 |
172 | Cape Verde | 569,810 |
173 | Micronesia (Fed. States of) | 561,300 |
174 | Maldives | 561,291 |
175 | Brunei | 447,038 |
176 | Malta | 444,182 |
177 | Belize | 414,449 |
178 | Bahamas | 401,818 |
179 | Guadeloupe | 400,277 |
180 | Martinique | 374,617 |
181 | Iceland | 346,259 |
182 | Vanuatu | 324,088 |
183 | French Guiana | 317,076 |
184 | New Caledonia | 291,762 |
185 | Mayotte | 288,384 |
186 | Barbados | 288,162 |
187 | French Polynesia | 284,580 |
188 | Sao Tome and Principe | 228,652 |
189 | Samoa | 201,401 |
190 | Saint Lucia | 185,519 |
191 | Channel Islands | 177,517 |
192 | Guam | 172,146 |
193 | Curaçao | 165,604 |
194 | Kiribati | 123,690 |
195 | Grenada | 113,966 |
196 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 111,732 |
197 | Tonga | 108,440 |
198 | Aruba | 107,787 |
199 | United States Virgin Islands | 104,083 |
200 | Antigua and Barbuda | 99,773 |
201 | Seychelles | 99,725 |
202 | Isle of Man | 86,049 |
203 | Andorra | 77,542 |
204 | Dominica | 72,387 |
205 | Cayman Islands | 67,492 |
206 | Bermuda | 61,769 |
207 | Marshall Islands | 60,095 |
208 | Northern Mariana Islands | 58,336 |
209 | Greenland | 56,991 |
210 | American Samoa | 54,920 |
211 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 54,052 |
212 | Faeroe Islands | 49,281 |
213 | Sint Maarten | 43,991 |
214 | Turks and Caicos | 39,924 |
215 | Monaco | 39,873 |
216 | Saint Martin | 40,198 |
217 | Liechtenstein | 38,374 |
218 | San Marino | 34,091 |
219 | Gibraltar | 33,669 |
220 | British Virgin Islands | 30,687 |
221 | Caribbean Netherlands | 26,779 |
222 | Palau | 18,288 |
223 | Cook Islands | 17,600 |
224 | Anguilla | 15,308 |
225 | Tuvalu | 12,126 |
226 | Nauru | 10,978 |
227 | Wallis and Futuna | 10,818 |
228 | Saint Barthelemy | 9,945 |
229 | Saint Helena | 6,118 |
230 | Saint Pierre & Miquelon | 5,732 |
231 | Montserrat | 4,999 |
232 | Falkland Islands | 3,723 |
233 | Niue | 1,651 |
234 | Tokelau | 1,396 |
235 | Holy See | 806 |
Below are regional breakdowns of population.
Africa’s Population by Country
As of 2022, Africa’s total population stands at 1.4 billion people. Many of the countries with the fastest growth rates are located in Africa and by 2050, the population of the continent is expected to jump to 2.5 billion.
Nigeria is Africa’s most populous country and its largest economy. Based on current growth rates, Nigeria’s largest city, Lagos, could even emerge as the world’s top megacity by the end of the century.
Africa has by far the lowest median age of any of the other continents.
Asia’s Population by Country
With 4.7 billion people in 2022, Asia is by far the world’s most populous region.
The continent is dominated by the two massive population centers of China and India. In 2023, a big shift will occur, with India surpassing China to become the world’s most populous country. China has held top spot for centuries, but the mismatch between the two countries’ growth rates made it only a matter of time before this milestone arrived.
Asia is a region of contrast when it comes to population growth. On the one end are countries like Singapore and Japan, which are actually shrinking. On the other, are Middle Eastern nations like Oman and Qatar, which have robust population growth rates of 4-5%.
Vietnam is on the cusp of becoming the 15th country to surpass the 100 million population mark.
Europe’s Population by Country
Europe’s population in 2022 is 750 million people—more than twice the size of the United States.
A century ago, Europe’s population was close to 30% of the world total. Today, that figure stands at less than 10%. This is, in part, due to population growth throughout other regions of the world.
More importantly though, Europe’s population is contracting in a number of places—Eastern Europe in particular. Many of the countries with the slowest growth rates are located in the Balkans and former Soviet Bloc countries.
Russia remains Europe’s largest country by population. Although the country’s landmass extends all the way across Asia, three-quarters of Russia’s people live on the European side of the country.
Germany is the second largest country in Europe, followed by the UK, France, and Italy.
Ukraine is the seventh largest population center in Europe, but it remains to be seen how the current conflict with Russia impacts the country’s long-term population prospects.
North America’s Population by Country
North America’s population is 602 million people as of 2022.
The continent is dominated by the United States, which makes up more than half of the total population. America’s population is still growing modestly (by global standards), but perhaps more interesting are the internal migration patterns that are occurring. States like Texas and Florida are seeing an influx from other states.
Canada has one of the highest population growth rates of major developed economies thanks to international migration.
Mexico is currently the 10th most populous country, but will eventually be bumped from the top 10 list by fast-growing African nations.
South America’s Population by Country
The population of South America in 2022 is 439 million. Brazil makes up nearly half of that total.
Sometime this decade, Colombia’s capital, Bogotá, will become the region’s fifth megacity (which is defined as having a population of 10 million or more). São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, and Lima are South America’s current megacities.
Oceania’s Population by Country
The population of the Oceania region is 44 million people—just slightly higher than the population of California.
Australia, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea make up the lion’s share of the population of this region.
Interestingly, many of the smallest countries by population can also be found in this region.
When Will Earth’s Population Hit 9 Billion?
The next global population milestone—nine billion—will likely be hit sometime in the 2030s.
In fact, Earth’s population is expected to continue growing until it hits a peak at some point in the 2080s—possibly over the 10 billion mark.
Where does this data come from?
Source: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division via Worldometer’s live tracker (as of Sept 27, 2022).
Context: The UN has estimated that November 15th, 2022, will be the date that the world population officially hits 8 billion.
Markets
Beyond Big Names: The Case for Small- and Mid-Cap Stocks
Small- and mid-cap stocks have historically outperformed large caps. What are the opportunities and risks to consider?
Beyond Big Names: The Case for Small- and Mid-Cap Stocks
Over the last 35 years, small- and mid-cap stocks have outperformed large caps, making them an attractive choice for investors.
According to data from Yahoo Finance, from February 1989 to February 2024, large-cap stocks returned +1,664% versus +2,062% for small caps and +3,176% for mid caps.
This graphic, sponsored by New York Life Investments, explores their return potential along with the risks to consider.
Higher Historical Returns
If you made a $100 investment in baskets of small-, mid-, and large-cap stocks in February 1989, what would each grouping be worth today?
Small Caps | Mid Caps | Large Caps | |
---|---|---|---|
Starting value (February 1989) | $100 | $100 | $100 |
Ending value (February 2024) | $2,162 | $3,276 | $1,764 |
Source: Yahoo Finance (2024). Small caps, mid caps, and large caps are represented by the S&P 600, S&P 400, and S&P 500 respectively.
Mid caps delivered the strongest performance since 1989, generating 86% more than large caps.
This superior historical track record is likely the result of the unique position mid-cap companies find themselves in. Mid-cap firms have generally successfully navigated early stage growth and are typically well-funded relative to small caps. And yet they are more dynamic and nimble than large-cap companies, allowing them to respond quicker to the market cycle.
Small caps also outperformed over this timeframe. They earned 23% more than large caps.
Higher Volatility
However, higher historical returns of small- and mid-cap stocks came with increased risk. They both endured greater volatility than large caps.
Small Caps | Mid Caps | Large Caps | |
---|---|---|---|
Total Volatility | 18.9% | 17.4% | 14.8% |
Source: Yahoo Finance (2024). Small caps, mid caps, and large caps are represented by the S&P 600, S&P 400, and S&P 500 respectively.
Small-cap companies are typically earlier in their life cycle and tend to have thinner financial cushions to withstand periods of loss relative to large caps. As a result, they are usually the most volatile group followed by mid caps. Large-cap companies, as more mature and established players, exhibit the most stability in their stock prices.
Investing in small caps and mid caps requires a higher risk tolerance to withstand their price swings. For investors with longer time horizons who are capable of enduring higher risk, current market pricing strengthens the case for stocks of smaller companies.
Attractive Valuations
Large-cap stocks have historically high valuations, with their forward price-to-earnings ratio (P/E ratio) trading above their 10-year average, according to analysis conducted by FactSet.
Conversely, the forward P/E ratios of small- and mid-cap stocks seem to be presenting a compelling entry point.
Small Caps/Large Caps | Mid Caps/Large Caps | |
---|---|---|
Relative Forward P/E Ratios | 0.71 | 0.75 |
Discount | 29% | 25% |
Source: Yardeni Research (2024). Small caps, mid caps, and large caps are represented by the S&P 600, S&P 400, and S&P 500 respectively.
Looking at both groups’ relative forward P/E ratios (small-cap P/E ratio divided by large-cap P/E ratio, and mid-cap P/E ratio divided by large-cap P/E ratio), small and mid caps are trading at their steepest discounts versus large caps since the early 2000s.
Discovering Small- and Mid-Cap Stocks
Growth-oriented investors looking to add equity exposure could consider incorporating small and mid caps into their portfolios.
With superior historical returns and relatively attractive valuations, small- and mid-cap stocks present a compelling opportunity for investors capable of tolerating greater volatility.
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