By 2037, the world is expected to reach a population of nine billion. So, where will these people be living?

This graphic, via Visual Capitalist's Bruno Venditti, shows the top 10 countries contributing the most to the next billion in population growth. The data comes from the United Nations as of September 2024.

Asia and Africa Will Lead Population Growth

The top 10 countries on our list include five from Africa and four from Asia.

Already the most populous country in the world, India is projected to add 147 million people, equivalent to the entire population of Russia.

Following India is Africa’s most populous country and its largest economy, Nigeria.

Based on current growth rates, Nigeria’s largest city, Lagos, could even emerge as the world’s top megacity by the end of the century.

The U.S. is the only country outside of these two regions to make the list, largely due to immigration.

Together, these 10 countries are expected to contribute 49% of the population growth by 2037. The map does not include any countries from Latin America, Oceania, or Europe.

Earth’s population is expected to continue growing until it peaks at some point in the 2080s, possibly surpassing the 10 billion mark.

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