Demographics
The World’s 7.5 Billion People, in One Chart
Which countries do people live in, globally?
It’s a very simple question, but it’s also hard to get an accurate sense of the answer by browsing through a lengthy table of country-level population data.
That’s because there are close to 200 countries spread around the globe, with populations ranging from near 1.4 billion (China or India) to countries a mere 0.001% of that size. How is it possible to do the mental math in interpreting such a wide range of data points simultaneously?
Visualizing the World’s Population
Today’s data visualization comes to us from PopulationPyramid.net, a fantastic resource for data on global population numbers.
It allows us to see the location of the world’s 7.5 billion people by resizing countries based on their populations and then coloring and organizing them by region.
This simple application of data visualization makes it more intuitive to comprehend where people live around the globe, as well as how different countries compare in size.
Regional Populations
The first thing you might notice on the graphic is the relative size of regions, with Asia taking up a whopping 60% of the visual space.
Here are those numbers by region broken down further:
Rank | Region | Share of Global Population (%) | Population |
---|---|---|---|
#1 | Asia | 60% | 4.5 billion |
#2 | Africa | 16% | 1.2 billion |
#3 | Europe | 10% | 729 million |
#4 | North America | 7% | 534 million |
#5 | South America | 6% | 424 million |
#6 | Central America | 1% | 47 million |
#7 | Oceania | 1% | 42 million |
When you look at it this way, you can really see how the math breaks down.
About 75% of people reside in Asia or Africa. Meanwhile, the regions of Europe, North America, South America, and Oceania just total together to 25% of the mix.
The 10 Most Populous Countries
There are some countries that are clear standouts on the data visualization.
For example, China and India combine to 2.7 billion people, together accounting for 36% of the total global population.
Those heavyweights aside, there are other notable countries that take up significant amounts of real estate on the visualization as well:
Rank | Country | Population (2017) | % of global total |
---|---|---|---|
#1 | 🇨🇳 China | 1,388,232,693 | 18.5% |
#2 | 🇮🇳 India | 1,342,512,706 | 17.9% |
#3 | 🇺🇸 United States | 326,474,013 | 4.3% |
#4 | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | 263,510,146 | 3.5% |
#5 | 🇧🇷 Brazil | 211,243,220 | 2.8% |
#6 | 🇵🇰 Pakistan | 196,744,376 | 2.6% |
#7 | 🇳🇬 Nigeria | 191,835,936 | 2.6% |
#8 | 🇧🇩 Bangladesh | 164,827,718 | 2.2% |
#9 | 🇷🇺 Russia | 143,375,006 | 1.9% |
#10 | 🇲🇽 Mexico | 130,222,815 | 1.7% |
Top 10 Total | 4,358,978,629 | 58.0% |
The United States, Indonesia, Brazil, and Pakistan rank between #3 and #6, and have about a billion people between them.
Nigeria, which is #7 on the list, has the world’s fastest growing megacity within its borders. Further, Bangladesh is also a noteworthy entry since it is one of the densest populations globally, with 1,138.9 people per square kilometer of land.
A Final Look at Global Population
This isn’t the first time we’ve shown you a data visualization that organizes the global population – here’s one we previously published that shows each country in a bubble chart:
While this uses slightly older data, it is still interesting to see how data visualization can help us understand a complex and wide-ranging set of data that is relevant to everyday life.
Healthcare
Charted: Average Years Left to Live by Age
Visualizing the number of years left to live for Americans at every age, reveals the broader trends in American life expectancy.

How Many Years Do You Have Left to Live?
At the start of the 19th century, when there fewer than 1 billion humans on the earth, global life expectancy at birth stood at roughly 29 years.
This is a startlingly low figure—because life expectancy is a statistical projection of how many more years a person can expect to live, based on the mortality rates at the time. And since the infant mortality rate in particular was so high, life expectancies accurately summarized the low likelihood of many babies living to adulthood.
However, since the 1920s, life expectancy across all ages has improved leaps and bounds, thanks to rapid advancements in nutrition, healthcare, and sanitation.
We visualized the current American life expectancy by age and gender, using data from the Office of Social Security, which bases their current projections on 2020 mortality rates.
American Life Expectancy at Every Age
A key takeaway with life expectancy is that it increases as one gets older. This is easily seen in the table below, which lists the remaining years left to live at a given age for an American male and the projected life expectancy.
Age | Years Remaining (Men) | Life Expectancy (Men) |
---|---|---|
0 | 74.12 | 74.12 |
1 | 73.55 | 74.55 |
2 | 72.58 | 74.58 |
3 | 71.60 | 74.60 |
4 | 70.62 | 74.62 |
5 | 69.63 | 74.63 |
6 | 68.64 | 74.64 |
7 | 67.65 | 74.65 |
8 | 66.65 | 74.65 |
9 | 65.66 | 74.66 |
10 | 64.67 | 74.67 |
11 | 63.68 | 74.68 |
12 | 62.69 | 74.69 |
13 | 61.70 | 74.70 |
14 | 60.71 | 74.71 |
15 | 59.73 | 74.73 |
16 | 58.76 | 74.76 |
17 | 57.79 | 74.79 |
18 | 56.84 | 74.84 |
19 | 55.90 | 74.90 |
20 | 54.97 | 74.97 |
21 | 54.04 | 75.04 |
22 | 53.12 | 75.12 |
23 | 52.21 | 75.21 |
24 | 51.30 | 75.30 |
25 | 50.39 | 75.39 |
26 | 49.48 | 75.48 |
27 | 48.57 | 75.57 |
28 | 47.66 | 75.66 |
29 | 46.76 | 75.76 |
30 | 45.86 | 75.86 |
31 | 44.97 | 75.97 |
32 | 44.07 | 76.07 |
33 | 43.18 | 76.18 |
34 | 42.29 | 76.29 |
35 | 41.39 | 76.39 |
36 | 40.50 | 76.50 |
37 | 39.62 | 76.62 |
38 | 38.73 | 76.73 |
39 | 37.85 | 76.85 |
40 | 36.97 | 76.97 |
41 | 36.09 | 77.09 |
42 | 35.21 | 77.21 |
43 | 34.34 | 77.34 |
44 | 33.46 | 77.46 |
45 | 32.59 | 77.59 |
46 | 31.73 | 77.73 |
47 | 30.87 | 77.87 |
48 | 30.01 | 78.01 |
49 | 29.17 | 78.17 |
50 | 28.33 | 78.33 |
51 | 27.50 | 78.50 |
52 | 26.67 | 78.67 |
53 | 25.86 | 78.86 |
54 | 25.06 | 79.06 |
55 | 24.27 | 79.27 |
56 | 23.48 | 79.48 |
57 | 22.71 | 79.71 |
58 | 21.95 | 79.95 |
59 | 21.21 | 80.21 |
60 | 20.47 | 80.47 |
61 | 19.74 | 80.74 |
62 | 19.03 | 81.03 |
63 | 18.32 | 81.32 |
64 | 17.63 | 81.63 |
65 | 16.94 | 81.94 |
66 | 16.26 | 82.26 |
67 | 15.58 | 82.58 |
68 | 14.91 | 82.91 |
69 | 14.24 | 83.24 |
70 | 13.59 | 83.59 |
71 | 12.94 | 83.94 |
72 | 12.30 | 84.30 |
73 | 11.67 | 84.67 |
74 | 11.05 | 85.05 |
75 | 10.46 | 85.46 |
76 | 9.88 | 85.88 |
77 | 9.32 | 86.32 |
78 | 8.77 | 86.77 |
79 | 8.25 | 87.25 |
80 | 7.74 | 87.74 |
81 | 7.25 | 88.25 |
82 | 6.77 | 88.77 |
83 | 6.31 | 89.31 |
84 | 5.88 | 89.88 |
85 | 5.47 | 90.47 |
86 | 5.07 | 91.07 |
87 | 4.70 | 91.70 |
88 | 4.35 | 92.35 |
89 | 4.02 | 93.02 |
90 | 3.72 | 93.72 |
91 | 3.44 | 94.44 |
92 | 3.18 | 95.18 |
93 | 2.96 | 95.96 |
94 | 2.75 | 96.75 |
95 | 2.57 | 97.57 |
96 | 2.42 | 98.42 |
97 | 2.28 | 99.28 |
98 | 2.15 | 100.15 |
99 | 2.04 | 101.04 |
100 | 1.93 | 101.93 |
101 | 1.83 | 102.83 |
102 | 1.73 | 103.73 |
103 | 1.63 | 104.63 |
104 | 1.54 | 105.54 |
105 | 1.45 | 106.45 |
106 | 1.36 | 107.36 |
107 | 1.27 | 108.27 |
108 | 1.18 | 109.18 |
109 | 1.10 | 110.10 |
110 | 1.02 | 111.02 |
111 | 0.95 | 111.95 |
112 | 0.88 | 112.88 |
113 | 0.82 | 113.82 |
114 | 0.76 | 114.76 |
115 | 0.70 | 115.70 |
116 | 0.65 | 116.65 |
117 | 0.60 | 117.60 |
118 | 0.56 | 118.56 |
119 | 0.52 | 119.52 |
120 | 0.48 | 120.48 |
At birth, an average American baby boy can expect to live till just past 74. But if the boy reaches adulthood, then at 21 he might live to a full year more, past 75. This trend persists even towards the end of life when the years we have left drop rapidly, influenced by the higher likelihood of death.
American women, on the other hand, have a higher life expectancy than men. At birth the gap is close to six years, narrowing steadily to around one year by 85.
Age | Years Remaining (Women) | Life Expectancy (Women) |
---|---|---|
0 | 79.78 | 79.78 |
1 | 79.17 | 80.17 |
2 | 78.19 | 80.19 |
3 | 77.21 | 80.21 |
4 | 76.22 | 80.22 |
5 | 75.23 | 80.23 |
6 | 74.24 | 80.24 |
7 | 73.25 | 80.25 |
8 | 72.25 | 80.25 |
9 | 71.26 | 80.26 |
10 | 70.27 | 80.27 |
11 | 69.27 | 80.27 |
12 | 68.28 | 80.28 |
13 | 67.29 | 80.29 |
14 | 66.30 | 80.30 |
15 | 65.31 | 80.31 |
16 | 64.32 | 80.32 |
17 | 63.34 | 80.34 |
18 | 62.36 | 80.36 |
19 | 61.38 | 80.38 |
20 | 60.41 | 80.41 |
21 | 59.44 | 80.44 |
22 | 58.47 | 80.47 |
23 | 57.50 | 80.50 |
24 | 56.54 | 80.54 |
25 | 55.58 | 80.58 |
26 | 54.61 | 80.61 |
27 | 53.66 | 80.66 |
28 | 52.70 | 80.70 |
29 | 51.74 | 80.74 |
30 | 50.79 | 80.79 |
31 | 49.84 | 80.84 |
32 | 48.89 | 80.89 |
33 | 47.94 | 80.94 |
34 | 47.00 | 81.00 |
35 | 46.06 | 81.06 |
36 | 45.12 | 81.12 |
37 | 44.18 | 81.18 |
38 | 43.24 | 81.24 |
39 | 42.31 | 81.31 |
40 | 41.38 | 81.38 |
41 | 40.45 | 81.45 |
42 | 39.52 | 81.52 |
43 | 38.60 | 81.60 |
44 | 37.68 | 81.68 |
45 | 36.76 | 81.76 |
46 | 35.85 | 81.85 |
47 | 34.94 | 81.94 |
48 | 34.04 | 82.04 |
49 | 33.14 | 82.14 |
50 | 32.24 | 82.24 |
51 | 31.35 | 82.35 |
52 | 30.47 | 82.47 |
53 | 29.59 | 82.59 |
54 | 28.72 | 82.72 |
55 | 27.86 | 82.86 |
56 | 27.01 | 83.01 |
57 | 26.16 | 83.16 |
58 | 25.32 | 83.32 |
59 | 24.49 | 83.49 |
60 | 23.67 | 83.67 |
61 | 22.85 | 83.85 |
62 | 22.04 | 84.04 |
63 | 21.24 | 84.24 |
64 | 20.45 | 84.45 |
65 | 19.66 | 84.66 |
66 | 18.88 | 84.88 |
67 | 18.10 | 85.10 |
68 | 17.34 | 85.34 |
69 | 16.58 | 85.58 |
70 | 15.82 | 85.82 |
71 | 15.08 | 86.08 |
72 | 14.36 | 86.36 |
73 | 13.64 | 86.64 |
74 | 12.94 | 86.94 |
75 | 12.26 | 87.26 |
76 | 11.60 | 87.60 |
77 | 10.95 | 87.95 |
78 | 10.31 | 88.31 |
79 | 9.70 | 88.70 |
80 | 9.10 | 89.10 |
81 | 8.53 | 89.53 |
82 | 7.98 | 89.98 |
83 | 7.44 | 90.44 |
84 | 6.93 | 90.93 |
85 | 6.44 | 91.44 |
86 | 5.99 | 91.99 |
87 | 5.55 | 92.55 |
88 | 5.15 | 93.15 |
89 | 4.76 | 93.76 |
90 | 4.41 | 94.41 |
91 | 4.08 | 95.08 |
92 | 3.78 | 95.78 |
93 | 3.51 | 96.51 |
94 | 3.27 | 97.27 |
95 | 3.05 | 98.05 |
96 | 2.85 | 98.85 |
97 | 2.68 | 99.68 |
98 | 2.52 | 100.52 |
99 | 2.37 | 101.37 |
100 | 2.23 | 102.23 |
101 | 2.09 | 103.09 |
102 | 1.96 | 103.96 |
103 | 1.84 | 104.84 |
104 | 1.72 | 105.72 |
105 | 1.61 | 106.61 |
106 | 1.51 | 107.51 |
107 | 1.41 | 108.41 |
108 | 1.32 | 109.32 |
109 | 1.24 | 110.24 |
110 | 1.16 | 111.16 |
111 | 1.09 | 112.09 |
112 | 1.02 | 113.02 |
113 | 0.96 | 113.96 |
114 | 0.90 | 114.90 |
115 | 0.85 | 115.85 |
116 | 0.80 | 116.80 |
117 | 0.75 | 117.75 |
118 | 0.70 | 118.70 |
119 | 0.66 | 119.66 |
120 | 0.62 | 120.62 |
Interestingly, women outlive men in nearly every country in the world, due to a mix of sociological, behavioral, and biological reasons.
COVID-19: Reversing A Decade of Increasing American Life Expectancy
While the current American life expectancy at birth seems reasonably high, it is nearly two years lower than the 2022 figure which used the 2019 mortality rate. It is also lower than the life expectancy at birth in 2009, which used 2005 mortality rate.
Year | Life Expectancy at Birth (Men) | Life Expectancy at Birth (Women) |
---|---|---|
2009 | 74.12 | 79.95 |
2014 | 76.10 | 80.94 |
2019 | 76.04 | 80.99 |
2023 | 74.12 | 79.78 |
American mortality rates went up 17% between 2019–2020, in part because of COVID-19, in turn affecting life expectancy. The U.S. also had a higher COVID-19 mortality rate compared to its peers two years after the pandemic first struck.
Thus, American life expectancy may not improve immediately to 2019 levels, which can affect insurance premiums, pension benefits, and plans.
Where Does This Data Come From?
Source: Office of Social Security, U.S. Government.
Note: The life expectancy at a given age is the average remaining number of years expected prior to death for a person at that exact age, born on January 1, using the mortality rates for 2020 over the course of their remaining life.
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