In this article, we will learn which countries have the highest population growth rates globally and what factors impact this increase. If you want to skip the details, jump to 10 Countries With Highest Rates Of Population Growth.
27 out of 30 countries with the highest rates of population growth are from Africa. While currently not the most populous, 3 African countries, namely the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, and Ethiopia, are forecasted to surpass the currently populous countries like Bangladesh, Mexico, and Brazil by 2100. Such resource-intensive population growth rates in the continent are not surprising because 24 out of the 25 Countries With The Highest Fertility Rates are from Africa, with Niger having the highest fertility rate as per 2020 data from the United Nations. According to the UN, half of the planet's population growth between now and 2050 will be in Africa, owing to a gradual increase in life spans and more people surviving to reach the reproductive age.
However, Europe's population trends present a sharp contrast as fertility in European countries is below the level required to replace the current population, i.e., 2.1 children per woman. As a result, countries like Japan, Ukraine, Latvia, and Romania are projected to see a 15% decline in their populations by 2050. The United States is well in the middle of the population growth rate in global comparison, with a growth rate of about 0.7% in the last 10 years.
Which Country Has The Highest Rate Of Population Growth?
The latest demographic statistics say that Syria has the highest population growth rate of 6.39%. The country's population increased from 4.57 million to 21.32 million between 1960 and 2021, i.e. 366.3 percent in 61 years. When the global population in the same period rose by 160.2%, Syria's populace was surely way ahead of the average. The rapid population growth in Syria can be attributed to the under-five mortality rate, which is 22.3 per 1,000 births, while the global average is 38 deaths per 1,000 live births, as per UNICEF. A lower under-five mortality rate implies an increased number of children surviving into adolescence and reaching their reproductive ages.
Which Country Has The Lowest Population Growth Rate?
Population growth rates are subject to factors like fertility, mortality, and migration patterns. If we exclude territories, certain European countries demonstrate the lowest population growth rates in the world.
Currently, Moldova has the lowest population growth rate, totaling -1.14%, closely followed by Latvia, with a growth rate of -1.13%. Other notable European nations with declining population rates are Lithuania, Romania, and Estonia, as their growth percentages are -1.04%, -1.01%, and -0.74, respectively,
Among these, Moldova's declining population is driven by high emigration and low fertility rates. Similarly, Latvia's demographic trends exhibit substantial emigration and low birth rates, thus leading to a shrinkage in its population. Lithuania and Romania share these traits and are confronting substantial population decline primarily due to a decrease in the natural growth rate.
These fertility declines are observed in an era when advancements in medical science have brought forth multiple treatments. For instance, Progyny, Inc. (NASDAQ:PGNY) has around 950 fertility experts and 650 clinics across the US. Owing to the development in fertility treatments, Progyny, Inc. (NASDAQ:PGNY) delivers vital services related to In Vitro Gametogenesis (IVG) and oocyte cryopreservation, i.e., egg freezing. Other treatments Progyny, Inc. (NASDAQ:PGNY) offers are IUI, TIC, and IVF.
Likewise, the Cooper Companies, Inc. (NYSE:COO) actively participates in the fertility industry and is functioning as an international medical device enterprise. The Cooper Companies, Inc. (NYSE:COO) fabricates fertility-related products for the women's healthcare sector, along with a range of additional merchandise. Cooper Companies, Inc. (NYSE:COO) is also considered a leader in IVF and reproductive genetics, focused on improving fertility solutions.
30 Countries With Highest Rates of Population Growth
30 Countries With Highest Rates Of Population Growth
Our Methodology
To find countries with the highest rates of population growth in 2023, we used the CIA's World Factbook that compiled all countries' recent stats regarding population. Then to understand what impacts the population growth rate by country, we explored UNICEF's under-five mortality rates per 1000 births in these countries. Also, as contraceptive measures impact how unchecked a country's population is growing, we referred to UNFPA's world population data. More sources for this study were UNDESA, The World Bank, and Pew Research Center, among others.
Based on our findings, here are 30 countries with the highest rates of population growth:
30. Papua New Guinea
Population Growth Rate: 2.31%
Our list of countries with the highest rates of population growth starts with Oceania, where Papua New Guinea's 3.85 fertility results in a population increase of 2.31% per year. There's also a 28% prevalence of modern contraceptive measures in young women, according to UNFPA's Papua New Guinea chapter.
29. Republic Of Congo
Population Growth Rate: 2.33%
The Republic of Congo lies on the Northwestern side of the Democratic Republic of Congo (the larger country) and has a population of 6.1 million in 2023. The country's population growth rate is 2.33%, supported by its fertility rate of 4.32.
28. Gabon
Population Growth Rate: 2.39%
Gabon's humble population of 2.4 million is growing at the rate of 2.39% per year, owing to its fertility of 3.26 kids per woman. The country's mortality rate is 39.7 per 1000 kids under 5 years of age, and the country's 60% population lies between the age group of 15-64.
27. Venezuela
Population Growth Rate: 2.40%
The only South American nation amongst countries with the highest rates of population growth is the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. The country's population is 28.8 million in 2023, while its fertility rate is 2.2. But unlike Africa with high population growth rates by country, Venezuela's consistent population rise stems from its good life expectancy, as evidenced by a low under-five mortality rate of 24.2 per 1000 live births.
26. Sierra Leone
Population Growth Rate: 2.41%
Sierra Leone is on the list of countries with the highest rates of population growth that'll soon increase its 8.8 million population. The nation's fertility rate is 3.71, while the ongoing population increase rate is 2.41%. UNDP data suggests that around 59.2% of the people of Sierra Leone are poor, and there's rising food insecurity amidst the global inflation rates.
25. Ethiopia
Population Growth Rate: 2.42%
Ethiopia's 3.92 fertility rate puts its population growth percentage at 2.42% per year. The country's under-five mortality rate is 48.6, and contraceptive usage in young women stands at 30%. If left unregulated, Ethiopia's current population of 126 million will keep rising and prove to be extremely resource intensive.
24. Togo
Population Growth Rate: 2.45%
Togo's 9.1 million population is rising at the rate of 2.45% per year because of its 4.18 fertility rate. The country's under-five mortality rate is 62.6 (moderate compared to global stats), and there's a 25% contraceptive prevalence rate among women of reproductive age. Furthermore, according to the World Food Programme, over 50% of people in Togo live in poverty.
23. Burkina Faso
Population Growth Rate: 2.46%
Burkina Faso's population in 2023 is 23.3 million, and the country's average fertility rate is 4.14. Even though the usage of modern contraceptive measures in women aged 15-49 is 30% in Burkina Faso, the country's population growth rate is 2.46% as of current. UNICEF data also tells that the country's under-five mortality rate is 82.6 per 1000 live births. Burkina Faso's population is projected to see a 298% surge by 2100.
22. Somalia
Population Growth Rate: 2.49%
World Bank's concerning stats show that nearly 70% of Somali people live below the poverty line. When paired with the contraceptive prevalence of merely 7% in women of reproductive age, these figures predict an alarming population increase. Somalia's fertility rate in 2023 is 5.22, as per the CIA World Factbook.
21. Senegal
Population Growth Rate: 2.52%
Senegal's fertility rate is 4.17 in 2023, that is resulting in its population growth rate of 2.52%. The country's under-five mortality rate is 38.5 (the world's average is 38), and because there's limited contraceptive prevalence (22%) according to UNFPA, Senegal's population is consistently increasing.
20. Nigeria
Population Growth Rate: 2.53%
Out of the 223 million population in Nigeria, there's only 18% contraceptive prevalence in women between the age group of 15 to 49. Such stats depict how unregulated the population growth might be in the country. Also, as 63% of people living in Nigeria are poor, the government needs to implement thorough measures to regulate the population growth rate.
19. Guinea-Bissau
Population Growth Rate: 2.54%
Guinea-Bissau is a small country in Africa, currently housing around 2.06 million people. However, the nation's population growth rate of 2.54% depicts that these numbers will double in the near future without population control measures. Given the small population, Guinea-Bissau's under-five mortality rate of 74.3 per 1,000 births and maternal death rate of 725 per 100,000 births are quite alarming.
18. Sudan
Population Growth Rate: 2.55%
Sudan has an alarmingly low contraceptive prevalence of 11% in women aged between 15-49 years, according to UNFPA. The country's fertility rate is 4.54, and when we look at its under-five death rate of 54.9, Sudan's expected population explosion makes sense. Sadly enough, around 46% of the countrymen in Sudan live below the poverty line and don't afford a good quality of life.
17. Mozambique
Population Growth Rate: 2.55%
Mozambique is one of the countries with highest population growth rates, standing at 2.55% in 2023. With the existing fertility rate of 4.74 and a moderate under-five death toll of 69.6 per 1000 live births, the country's population will expand further. Also, as per the World Bank estimates, 63.7% of the country's population is under the poverty line, and the contraceptive prevalence rate of only 29% in women of the reproductive age group puts it in consistent danger of unplanned births.
16. Libera
Population Growth Rate: 2.71%
Liberia is a small African country with a population of just a little over 5 million. However, the country's population growth rate of 2.71% shows that its numbers will soon increase when combined with its ongoing fertility rate of 4.73.
15. Cameroon
Population Growth Rate: 2.73%
Out of the 27 million population, 47% of Cameroonians live in poverty and are facing extreme inflation, like the rest of the world. The country's under-five mortality rate is 69.8 per 1,000 births, and when paired with its fertility average of 4.5, no wonder it's on the list of countries with the highest rates of population growth.
14. Guinea
Population Growth Rate: 2.75%
Around 43.7% of Guineans lived below the poverty line in 2018, a trend resulting from a dooming economy and unregulated population increase. Despite having an under-five mortality rate of 98.7, the country's current fertility rate of 4.82 puts its population on an upward scale.
13. Tanzania
Population Growth Rate: 2.75%
According to UNDESA Population Projections of 2022, Tanzania will face a population increase of 378% by 2100 and prove to be the third highest-growing country in the world. 24 million out of the 64 million people in Tanzania are living in extreme poverty, according to recent estimates.
12. Zambia
Population Growth Rate: 2.86%
Zambia's current under-five mortality rate is 57.7, and the country comes at number 19 in terms of fertility rate in 2023. Zambia is one of the African countries with the highest rates of population growth. Also, 47.9% of Zambian people face multidimensional poverty, despite the country's economy improving in recent years.
11. Mali
Population Growth Rate: 2.93%
Mali has the 4th highest fertility rate in the world as of current (5.45 kids per woman, to be precise) and is expected to see a population gain of 297% by 2100.
