More than 8 out of 10 people in the world will live in Asia or Africa by 2100

The United Nations projects that world population growth will slow significantly over the course of the 21st century, reaching 10.4 billion in the 2080s before slowly falling. But how is this growth distributed across the world? How does the world look in 2100 compared to today?

In this chart we see the global population split by region. This shows historical data, but also projections to 2100 based on the UN's medium growth scenario.

The striking change between now and 2100 is the expected growth in the African population. In 2023, its population is around 1.4 billion; by 2100 it's projected to reach just under 4 billion.

Over the past 50 years Asia experienced rapid population growth. In 2023, its population is around 4.8 billion. By 2050 it's expected to rise to 5.3 billion, but then fall in the latter half of the century. You can read more about the driving force behind these demographic changes here. By 2100 Asia's population is projected to fall almost back to levels we see today.

You can use the 'relative' toggle in the chart to see each region's share of the world population. In 2023, Africa is home to around 18% of the global population; by 2100 this is projected to rise to 38%. Asia will see a significant fall from almost 60% today to around 45% in 2100.

By the end of the century, more than 8 out of every 10 people in the world will live in Asia or Africa.

North, Central and South America, and Oceania, are projected to also see a rise in population this century – but this growth will be much more modest relative to growth in Africa. Europe is the only region where population is expected to fall.

These changes will bring new opportunities and challenges. Extreme poverty, for example, is expected to become increasingly concentrated in Africa in the decades which follow. This will represent a major shift from the century before.

Where this page came from

This page was imported from Our World in Data. “More than 8 out of 10 people in the world will live in Asia or Africa by 2100” by Hannah Ritchie (July 15, 2019), published by Our World in Data under CC BY 4.0. Changed here: set as a page, its interactive charts shown as pictures. Data from third parties keeps its own licence.

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