There is a day for just about anything, including the world’s population. Did you know that Every July 11th is World Population Day? This international day was established by the Governing Council of the United Nations Development Programme in 1989. It was inspired by Five Billion Day in 1987, when the world population hit 5 billion.
So, why is this day important or celebrated? It was designed to increase awareness of global population issues, including poverty, gender equality, and human rights.
To celebrate this day, we’ve compiled a list of 15 statistics related to the global population. The data came from websites like World Population Review, Statista, the United Nations, and World Bank Data.
1. The World Population is Continuing to Rise
Although populations are declining in a few countries, this doesn’t mean the whole world is following the same trend. Each year, the population increases by about 83 million.
2. The World Will Be Home to 10 Billion People Soon
By the 2080s, data suggests the world’s population will hit about 10.4 Billion.
3. India is the Most Populated Country in the World
India is home to about 17% of the world’s population. Closely following India is China. Both countries have populations exceeding 1 billion.
4. Nigeria Currently has the Highest Population Growth Rate
While Nigeria isn’t the most populated country in the world, it has the highest growth rate at 2.6%.
5. Most People are Right-Handed
In the entire world, only about 10 to 12% of the population is left-handed.
6. People Are Living Longer
The current global life expectancy is 73.5. This is a slight increase from 2024. Interestingly, females have longer life expectancies (70.9 years vs. 76.2 years).
7. European Populations are Decreasing
While the global population is steadily increasing, a few countries are struggling, primarily those in Europe. Europe’s fertility rate is low at 1.38 births per woman.
8. The World’s Least Populated Country is…
The world’s least populated country is the Vatican City, home to only about 501 permanent residents.
9. In One Country, Over 70% of the Population is Male
Qatar is a male-dominated country in terms of population. The population is over 70%, with a ratio of 246 males per 100 females.
10. Immigration is Incredibly Common
According to the United Nations, 281 million people live outside their country of birth. This number is growing, although the majority of people (29 out of 30) remain in their country of birth.
11. Humans Are Young
The median age for the world population in 2020 was 31.0. This is a big difference compared to the country with the oldest median age (Monaco at 56.2).
12. The Youngest Country by Median Age
Imagine visiting a place where the bulk of the population is as young as 15. Well, that’s the story of Niger.
13. Curly Hair is Common
Curly hair is common across the world. Approximately one-third of the world’s population has some form of curls in their hair. This percentage is expected to go up to 40% by 2030.
14. Rh Negative Blood is Rare
Only about 7% of the world’s population has Rh-negative blood.
15. The Densest City in the World is Manila
The Philippines is home to many densely populated cities, including the densest, Manila, at 119,600 square kilometers.
The image featured at the top of this post is ©Rido / Shutterstock.com.