9 December 2014
See also Demography Charts – 1
Below are lists of largest country populations in 1950, 2015 and 2050, assuming the UN’s medium-variant projections. Key takeaways:
- Lower growth for world population in upcoming decades as total fertility ratios (TFR = children per woman) decline in Africa and Asia.
- Four European countries were in the top 10 in 1950. Only one (Russia) remains in 2015 and none in 2050.
- US population drops from 6.3% of world in 1950, to 4.4% in 2015, to 4.2% in 2050.
- Huge increase in Sub-Saharan Africa from 2015 to 2050, despite an expected decline in TFR.
Top 10 populations in 1950:
| Population (millions) | 1950 |
| WORLD | 2526 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 179 |
| China | 544 |
| India | 376 |
| United States | 158 |
| Russia | 103 |
| Japan | 82 |
| Indonesia | 73 |
| Germany | 70 |
| Brazil | 54 |
| United Kingdom | 51 |
| Italy | 46 |
Top 10 populations in 2015:
| Population (millions) | 2015 |
| WORLD | 7325 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 949 |
| China | 1401 |
| India | 1282 |
| United States | 325 |
| Indonesia | 256 |
| Brazil | 204 |
| Pakistan | 188 |
| Nigeria | 184 |
| Bangladesh | 160 |
| Russia | 142 |
| Japan | 127 |
Top 10 populations in 2050:
| Population (millions) | 2050 |
| WORLD | 9551 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 2074 |
| India | 1620 |
| China | 1385 |
| Nigeria | 440 |
| United States | 401 |
| Indonesia | 321 |
| Pakistan | 271 |
| Brazil | 231 |
| Bangladesh | 202 |
| Ethiopia | 186 |
| Philippines | 157 |
Finally, here is a chart of Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa as percent of total world population.
