1963 Rate of Natural Increase

In 1963, the world experienced its highest recorded rate of natural increase (RNI)—the difference between birth rates and death rates—peaking at approximately 2.2% per year. This rapid population growth was not evenly distributed across continents and regions. Africa and Asia, particularly regions such as Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, saw some of the highest RNIs, often exceeding 2.5% due to high fertility rates and declining mortality rates from medical advances. Latin America also experienced high RNI, though slightly lower than Africa and Asia. In contrast, Europe and North America had much lower RNIs, often below 1%, as these regions had already undergone demographic transitions with lower birth and death rates. For example, countries like Nigeria and India had RNIs above 2.5%, while nations such as Germany and the United States had rates closer to or below 1%. This stark contrast in RNI contributed to the accelerating demographic divergence between the Global North and South during the early 1960s.

Data from US Census International Database