The Biggest Countries in the World in 2100

Populous countries and strong population growth are most often associated with Asia today. But as data by the United Nations shows, come the turn of the century, the balance will be less clear cut.

In 2020, five out of the ten most populous countries in the world were located in Asia - China, India, Indonesia, Pakistan and Bangladesh - while two were in Latin America, one was in Africa and one in North America. Come 2100, four African nations will place in the world’s top ten: Nigeria, Ethiopia, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.While some Asian countries will continue to grow, they will do so at a lower rate and will be surpassed in population by African countries exhibiting faster growth. Others, like China and Bangladesh are actually expected to shrink until 2100, mainly a result of higher standard of living and education that has already begun to lower birth rates.

In 1950, four European countries were still among the world’s largest. That number will have decreased to one in 2020 and none in 2100.

The number of children born worldwide is already decreasing, but at 2.3 children born per woman, the world’s population is still growing. UN population researchers found that if the global fertility rate kept dropping at the rate it currently is, it would reach 1.9 children per woman in 2100, at which point the world population would actually be decreasing.