The Number of People Born Every Year, by Region (1950–2023)

The Number of People Born Every Year, by Region (1950–2023)

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It’s a commonly known fact that the world population has more than doubled since the 1970s, to 8 billion people in 2024. But where exactly has all that increase taken place? And what can examining these birth trends tell us about the future?

We visualize the number of births in each global region, from 1950 to 2023. All figures were sourced from the UN World Population Prospects 2024.

Importantly, the region Northern America includes the U.S., Bermuda, Canada, Greenland, and St. Pierre and Miquelon. Mexico, on the other hand, is included in Latin America & Caribbean.

Asia’s Population Boom Has Stopped, Africa’s Continues

For the last six decades, Asia has recorded more than 60 million births every year. In fact, Asia’s annual births peaked at 90 million in 1990, but there’s been a steep drop since 2012.

YearAfricaAsiaOceania

195010,878,55057,064,430348,990

195111,138,51057,272,260356,790

195211,398,58061,583,050370,330

195311,669,18061,026,710374,860

195411,924,01063,291,210379,230

195512,185,52064,332,880389,240

195612,452,58063,763,680398,290

195712,725,15067,363,200409,910

195812,997,77065,466,370416,880

195913,271,43062,243,710424,990

196013,574,66062,137,840433,360

196113,890,99060,313,340447,630

196214,224,92071,286,750446,790

196314,549,41078,726,900448,130

196414,873,52076,051,990441,590

196515,200,80076,794,890437,300

196615,573,97076,055,130441,440

196715,945,67075,394,990450,480

196816,330,53080,032,750466,350

196916,733,08079,891,430478,990

197017,149,97081,210,590488,870

197117,599,82080,314,130516,090

197218,030,48080,022,130509,670

197318,462,56079,808,490490,220

197418,959,74078,226,180485,220

197519,476,17076,064,490472,580

197619,987,21075,728,600462,960

197720,493,58074,472,690463,220

197821,016,84075,209,190459,540

197921,600,69077,233,390460,750

198022,153,36078,908,620463,960

198122,677,10080,628,240476,520

198223,258,57083,312,660483,750

198323,852,38081,377,520491,430

198424,307,37083,360,760491,440

198524,811,28084,852,410501,490

198625,251,25087,191,670504,940

198725,715,32088,785,360510,970

198826,172,01088,023,380519,090

198926,590,81089,064,560526,680

199026,988,12090,014,730543,510

199127,451,83084,847,610541,460

199227,889,41083,184,690550,990

199328,346,97082,282,280552,180

199428,708,45081,717,290552,720

199529,327,24081,107,570553,470

199629,829,72080,266,910556,520

199730,300,01079,627,340559,800

199830,826,05079,063,390560,870

199931,510,80078,786,060568,620

200032,158,30079,826,540574,230

200132,815,22079,003,560575,220

200233,443,53078,452,900582,420

200334,164,90077,962,060589,770

200434,946,96077,983,530599,680

200535,809,37077,710,870614,250

200636,596,96078,032,650627,220

200737,359,28078,518,800654,920

200838,223,06079,234,200669,520

200938,935,47079,820,120670,580

201039,685,49079,595,720678,430

201140,356,07079,627,260680,230

201241,002,06081,133,570689,710

201341,586,18079,733,360688,740

201442,195,59079,331,660683,420

201542,660,67078,112,180693,080

201642,958,90078,603,850697,150

201743,403,06077,407,240695,910

201843,626,30074,269,650701,840

201943,965,81072,705,330694,710

202044,373,66069,047,890684,200

202144,892,53067,363,910694,460

202245,469,23066,247,780693,810

202346,063,89065,645,040693,270

Most of those babies were born in India, China, and Indonesia, the world’s first, second, and fourth-most populous countries.

These densely-populated places have always had the agricultural ability to support relatively large populations, but 20th century advances in food science, sanitation, and medicine super-charged that growth.

Additionally, for primarily agrarian economies like India, children are seen as an asset to work farms, securing food supply.

Noticeably, as all three countries industrialized and urbanized, birth rates dropped, and population growth slowed down.

Meanwhile, the number of people being born each year in Africa has only been rising quickly. In 2023, Africa recorded 43 million births. Current UN projections estimate an increase every year until it peaks at 56 million in 2067.

Birth Declines and Aging Populations

Finally, births in other regions have been relatively steady, with slight downtrends seen in Europe, and more recently, Latin America.

YearEuropeLatAm &
CaribbeanNorthern America

195012,167,8007,304,8604,059,310

195112,066,1507,491,6204,181,790

195212,050,2507,677,2604,292,000

195311,993,5107,866,0504,361,150

195412,043,6908,056,7104,493,020

195512,070,4808,246,0504,523,810

195612,059,5308,443,8804,641,050

195712,143,2708,637,2104,739,000

195812,134,4308,826,0204,802,700

195912,222,2409,021,9604,815,510

196012,182,1909,214,0404,836,000

196112,060,9509,397,3504,840,680

196211,763,2009,592,8704,724,190

196311,670,8209,771,3804,636,260

196411,455,8509,904,9304,564,320

196511,101,92010,002,7004,299,400

196610,961,78010,080,1304,120,510

196710,971,32010,153,5804,004,240

196810,777,48010,235,6203,983,160

196910,670,28010,347,1804,107,010

197010,564,87010,469,2504,252,360

197110,642,40010,597,9804,069,270

197210,518,44010,716,8703,756,440

197310,327,33010,838,5003,636,820

197410,443,50010,933,6303,661,140

197510,306,75011,050,7103,659,390

197610,272,95011,182,9903,687,640

197710,198,00011,313,4003,845,640

197810,154,63011,429,4703,870,980

197910,160,16011,530,1004,015,210

198010,195,38011,615,8104,109,850

198110,087,31011,720,6504,126,020

198210,145,46011,829,8904,176,180

198310,201,85011,903,5404,140,980

198410,104,77011,943,5304,157,400

198510,007,30011,983,0604,218,430

198610,118,42012,027,8104,207,080

198710,069,80012,006,3704,258,730

19889,917,07011,994,5804,359,840

19899,574,97012,003,4904,488,530

19909,338,61011,999,2104,577,250

19918,949,89011,992,9104,523,170

19928,553,02011,958,8404,454,300

19938,106,49011,979,4804,364,750

19947,905,41011,962,5004,296,550

19957,695,07011,939,2104,227,490

19967,600,87011,873,1404,193,870

19977,499,05011,839,5904,159,870

19987,414,23011,797,9704,195,020

19997,267,16011,713,2204,212,810

20007,307,71011,603,5404,288,160

20017,248,34011,471,9704,265,690

20027,317,80011,343,3604,256,470

20037,461,37011,202,8804,319,820

20047,580,45011,132,2104,353,500

20057,562,33011,069,7004,399,940

20067,708,81010,967,9204,535,740

20077,906,66010,894,5104,601,610

20088,200,94010,868,0504,562,950

20098,227,46010,843,6804,471,020

20108,236,45010,799,6804,358,460

20118,102,07010,790,1204,323,040

20128,181,39010,721,0904,327,060

20138,013,44010,678,0004,315,050

20148,037,36010,648,3504,371,890

20157,957,50010,542,2904,368,230

20167,933,47010,322,8704,337,860

20177,605,38010,238,4004,251,820

20187,371,06010,172,1404,191,760

20197,127,1009,957,4104,146,440

20206,947,4109,660,7904,005,660

20216,903,6309,541,9404,052,370

20226,520,6409,437,5204,106,410

20236,337,7009,354,8104,015,560

Note: Northern America is U.S., Bermuda, Canada, Greenland, and St. Pierre and Miquelon. LatAm includes Mexico.

Countries in Europe in particular are aging because of the decline in births, casting doubts over the sustainability of social welfare systems. An aging population can also disrupt the economy, both through the workforce and a shift in demand. Healthcare costs, for example, will increase, raising the requirement for doctors, nurses, and related health workers.

As a result, boosting immigration has become an often–cited solution, though not without its own political and cultural pushbacks.

The post The Number of People Born Every Year, by Region (1950–2023) appeared first on Visual Capitalist.