The globe’s population passed 8 billion last year, according to the United Nations, just 11 years after reaching 7 billion. The U.N. projects continued global population expansion in the millions each year, crossing the 9 billion people worldwide in 2037 and peaking at around 10.4 billion in the 2080s.
24/7 Wall St. used the U.N.’s World Population Prospects 2022 report to list the 14 countries with more than 100 million residents, with population figures listed as of July 2022. These 14 countries alone represent 63.2%, or close to two-thirds, of the world’s population. Past years’ population estimates and future projected figures, as well as population growth and life expectancy at birth are all from the U.N. report.
While these projected population figures are alarming, growth does appear to be slowing down. The global population’s annual growth rate as of July 2022 was 0.83%, the slowest in decades, and the U.N. projects that rate will continue to decline until the population begins to shrink in the 2080s. (Here are rich countries with the biggest families.)
In some of the most populous countries on Earth, population growth rates have leveled out. These include the United States, which in 2021 had a population growth rate of just 0.21%, its lowest such figure in decades. In China, currently the world’s most populous nation, the annual population declined in 2022, the first time in 60 years.
On the other hand, while there are countries like the United States and China, there are other nations that continue to have meteoric population growth. Nigeria, for example, added 5.2 million people between July 2021 and July 2022, a 2.3% growth rate. The African nation is currently the world’s seventh most populous, but in 20 years the U.N. projects it will become the fourth most populous.
Meanwhile, India, which currently has the second largest population, added 9.7 million in the 12 months through July 2022. The U.N. projects India’s population will surpass China’s some time next year. (These are the fastest growing countries in the world.)
Click here to see the most populous countries in the world.
14. Egypt
> 2022 Population: 111.0 million
> 1-year population growth: +1.54% (+1.7 million)
> 2012 population: 91.2 million (#14 out of 237)
> 2032 Projected population: 128.7 (#14 out of 237)
> 2042 Projected population: 147.0 million (#12 out of 237)
> Life expectancy at birth: 70.2 years (#165 out of 237)
13. Philippines
> 2022 Population: 115.6 million
> 1-year population growth: +1.54% (+1.8 million)
> 2012 population: 98.0 million (#12 out of 237)
> 2032 Projected population: 132.8 (#13 out of 237)
> 2042 Projected population: 147.8 million (#11 out of 237)
> Life expectancy at birth: 72.2 years (#140 out of 237)
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12. Ethiopia
> 2022 Population: 123.4 million
> 1-year population growth: +2.53% (+3.1 million)
> 2012 population: 94.5 million (#13 out of 237)
> 2032 Projected population: 155.9 (#9 out of 237)
> 2042 Projected population: 188.6 million (#9 out of 237)
> Life expectancy at birth: 65.6 years (#191 out of 237)
11. Japan
> 2022 Population: 124.0 million
> 1-year population growth: -0.53% (-653,000)
> 2012 population: 127.9 million (#10 out of 237)
> 2032 Projected population: 117.1 (#15 out of 237)
> 2042 Projected population: 109.7 million (#16 out of 237)
> Life expectancy at birth: 84.8 years (#3 out of 237)
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10. Mexico
> 2022 Population: 127.5 million
> 1-year population growth: +0.75% (+960,000)
> 2012 population: 115.8 million (#11 out of 237)
> 2032 Projected population: 136.1 (#11 out of 237)
> 2042 Projected population: 141.9 million (#13 out of 237)
> Life expectancy at birth: 74.8 years (#105 out of 237)
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9. Russian Federation
> 2022 Population: 144.7 million
> 1-year population growth: -0.03% (-38,000)
> 2012 population: 143.6 million (#9 out of 237)
> 2032 Projected population: 140.6 (#10 out of 237)
> 2042 Projected population: 136.3 million (#14 out of 237)
> Life expectancy at birth: 70.1 years (#166 out of 237)
8. Bangladesh
> 2022 Population: 171.2 million
> 1-year population growth: +1.04% (+1.8 million)
> 2012 population: 152.1 million (#8 out of 237)
> 2032 Projected population: 187.3 (#8 out of 237)
> 2042 Projected population: 198.3 million (#8 out of 237)
> Life expectancy at birth: 73.7 years (#124 out of 237)
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7. Brazil
> 2022 Population: 215.3 million
> 1-year population growth: +0.45% (+977,000)
> 2012 population: 200.0 million (#6 out of 237)
> 2032 Projected population: 225.6 (#7 out of 237)
> 2042 Projected population: 230.7 million (#7 out of 237)
> Life expectancy at birth: 73.4 years (#129 out of 237)
6. Nigeria
> 2022 Population: 218.5 million
> 1-year population growth: +2.39% (+5.2 million)
> 2012 population: 170.1 million (#7 out of 237)
> 2032 Projected population: 274.1 (#6 out of 237)
> 2042 Projected population: 332.4 million (#4 out of 237)
> Life expectancy at birth: 53.6 years (#235 out of 237)
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5. Pakistan
> 2022 Population: 235.8 million
> 1-year population growth: +1.95% (+4.6 million)
> 2012 population: 202.2 million (#5 out of 237)
> 2032 Projected population: 283.8 (#5 out of 237)
> 2042 Projected population: 332.0 million (#5 out of 237)
> Life expectancy at birth: 66.4 years (#186 out of 237)
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4. Indonesia
> 2022 Population: 275.5 million
> 1-year population growth: +0.64% (+1.8 million)
> 2012 population: 250.2 million (#4 out of 237)
> 2032 Projected population: 295.8 (#4 out of 237)
> 2042 Projected population: 310.6 million (#6 out of 237)
> Life expectancy at birth: 68.2 years (#178 out of 237)
3. United States of America
> 2022 Population: 338.3 million
> 1-year population growth: +0.47% (+1.6 million)
> 2012 population: 316.7 million (#3 out of 237)
> 2032 Projected population: 355.4 (#3 out of 237)
> 2042 Projected population: 368.8 million (#3 out of 237)
> Life expectancy at birth: 78.2 years (#67 out of 237)
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2. India
> 2022 Population: 1.42 billion
> 1-year population growth: +0.69% (+9.7 million)
> 2012 population: 1.27 billion (#2 out of 237)
> 2032 Projected population: 1.54 billion (#1 out of 237)
> 2042 Projected population: 163 billion (#1 out of 237)
> Life expectancy at birth: 67.7 years (#180 out of 237)
1. China
> 2022 Population: 1.43 billion
> 1-year population growth: -0.01% (-76,000)
> 2012 population: 1.36 billion (#1 out of 237)
> 2032 Projected population: 1.41 billion (#2 out of 237)
> 2042 Projected population: 1.36 billion (#2 out of 237)
> Life expectancy at birth: 78.6 years (#64 out of 237)
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