10 interesting facts about the world’s population

People talk about the world like it’s one big number. However, the statistics about population include some interesting details you don’t hear every day. These go beyond simply who’s living where. Here are ten interesting facts about the world’s population. Which of these surprised you most?

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The world hit 8 billion on November 15, 2022

Tuesday, November 15th, 2022, was a special date. It was when the UN’s official estimate finally reached over 8 billion people, although they didn’t count heads one by one. This number came from decades of birth & death records blended with census data. It’s more of a symbolic date than a “true” count. But it was still an important moment in history.

India is the most populous country

China had the most people for many years. But in 2023, India pulled ahead, with a gap of around two million people, which sounds small, but it was enough for the UN to call it. India had about 1.428 billion & China slightly less at 1.426 billion. It was a real passing of the crown. And it’s all thanks to the slowing birth rates in China and steady growth in India.

Global births peaked in 2012

More babies were born in 2012 than in any other year so far, at roughly 146 million. That number has decreased slightly since then. Demographers have tracked this figure with fertility rates, but the big picture is that the world’s “baby boom” year already came & went. Who knows when the next one will happen?

The growth rate fell below 1%

2020 sure was a record-breaking year. It was the first time since the 1950s that the global growth rate slipped under 1% a year. The headcount did rise afterwards, but it’s climbing more slowly than before. Fewer than one extra person per hundred has been added each year worldwide.

Eight countries drive over half of growth

Population growth isn’t spread evenly. According to the UN, just eight countries will account for more than half the world’s increase through 2050. These are Congo (DRC), Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines & Tanzania. The majority of other countries? They’re suffering from low birth rates.

Urban living will reach about 68% by 2050

Anyone who lives in a city will know how packed they feel now. But try imagining nearly 7 out of 10 people worldwide living in one. That’s the UN’s forecast for 2050, and in 2018, the number was closer to 55%. They used data from tracking settlements & standardizing to create this figure. Let’s hope it doesn’t get that bad.

Older adults surpassed under-fives in 2018

In 2018, the worldwide demographic flipped. The number of people aged 65+ outnumbered kids under five for the very first time in history. Looking forward, the UN projects that about one in six people will be 65 or older by 2050. This figure means that the age pyramid will look more like a rectangle in the future.

Japan has the highest share of people over 65

Almost three out of every ten people are now over 65 in Japan. That’s roughly 29% of the population in 2023. It’s a higher figure than anywhere else in the world, even in countries like Italy & Finland. These also have large older populations. But Japan has a high number of older people, yet also a low number of young people.

38% of people live close to coasts

A huge chunk of the world prefers to stay near the water. One 2018 study showed that about 38% of people live within 100 kilometers of a coast, for one reason or another. That’s nearly four out of every ten humans choosing spots that aren’t far from shorelines. It makes sense, though. Coastal zones often mean easier access to trade, food & transportation.

The world will have 43 megacities by 2030

A megacity is defined as 10 million people or more. And the UN expects there will be 43 of them by 2030, although back in 2018, there were only 33. The biggest growth is happening in Asia & Africa. Urban areas are expanding there faster than anywhere else, with cities like Lagos & Kinshasa being on track to join or climb higher on the list.

The following sources were consulted in the preparation of this article: