As the world counts down to the New Year, the global population continues to go up and is expected to surpass 8 billion people on Jan. 1, 2025, despite a slight slowdown this year, according to U.S. Census data. In 2024, the world’s population added 71 million people, marking less than a 1% increase from 2023.
Africa, with the highest birth rate of any continent, saw 14 of its countries recording the most births in 2024. On average, countries like Niger, Angola and Benin saw at least 40 births for every 1,000 people.
However, ongoing conflicts and wars have also had a significant impact on the global population, contributing to higher death rates. Ukraine, Bulgaria and Latvia are among the countries with the highest mortality numbers this year, according to the World Factbook.
Meanwhile, India and China continue to dominate as the two most populous countries, each with more than 1.4 billion people. The United States ranks third, followed by Indonesia, Pakistan and Nigeria.
Experts suggest that the 2020s could become the slowest-growing decade in U.S. history, with population growth levels not seen since the Great Depression. According to the census, in 2025, the U.S. will see roughly one birth and one death every nine seconds.
International migration will continue to drive U.S. population growth, however, with one new person arriving every 21 seconds.
