Two years after surpassing the 8 billion population in 2022, the number of people on the planet is increasing faster in some countries than others.
As part of the United States government’s World Factbook, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) publishes the latest figures on population growth rates for 236 countries and territories around the world. Of these, 24 of the 25 fastest growing countries are in Africa.
The population is growing the fastest in South Sudan, increasing by 4.65 percent annually. In contrast, the United States grew by 0.67 percent annually. But what caused this population boom, and how did it affect the populations of the countries most affected?
Newsweek spoke to demographer and social statistician, Melanie Channon, to find out.
Image by Hector Ruiz Golobart/Getty
“These areas will account for around 60 percent of the global population increase between now and 2050,” said Channon, a lecturer in the Department of Social Sciences and Policy at the University of Bath in England. Newsweek. “Across the continent, the average number of children per woman remains more than four, but there is great diversity. Fertility rates by country vary from less than two in Tunisia and Mauritius to more than six in countries including Niger and Somalia.
He continued: “In many of these countries, women choose to have relatively many children and more educated women tend to want more children than their counterparts in other parts of the world.”
The map below shows the countries in Africa with the highest population growth rates:
Apart from cultural preferences, another key factor contributing to the development of the African population is the average age across the continent compared to other parts of the world-a population structure that can provide opportunities in the coming years. “The continent is very young with more than 2 in 5 people under the age of 15,” Channon said. “This large number of young people will be a large number of people of working age relative to the young and old, which can lead to economic growth and well-being.
“This phenomenon is known as the demographic dividend and if African countries can use it, it will boost the growth needed to counter the negative impact of population growth.”
Of course, the dramatic population growth in these areas can also put great pressure on communities, especially those that are already vulnerable. “Population growth can create all sorts of problems in certain areas, especially when combined with issues like climate change and conflict,” Channon said.
“Nearly half of the world’s displaced people are in Africa. Conflict and violence led to 13.5 million displacements last year, while disasters such as floods and droughts led to 6 million displacements. seeing more internal displacement as well as more migrants.”
Looking to the future, Channon said that, like most other parts of the world, fertility rates will decline in the majority of sub-Saharan African countries, although he added that birth rates may remain higher than in other regions.
“On average, people in this region want more children than in other regions, so even with better access to a variety of contraceptives (which is still very important) and better education, I think average fertility will remain the same higher than anywhere else for a long time,” he said. “However, I don’t want to predict more than this because I don’t have a crystal ball and predictions are generally wrong.”
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