1978 Rate of Natural Increase

In 1978, the world’s rate of natural increase (RNI)—the difference between the crude birth rate and crude death rate, excluding migration—was approximately 1.7% per year, reflecting rapid global population growth. This rate, however, varied significantly across continents and regions. Africa and Asia exhibited the highest RNIs, with many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa exceeding 2.5%, driven by high birth rates and declining mortality. Latin America also experienced high RNIs, often above 2%, while regions like Europe and North America had much lower rates, frequently below 0.5%, due to low birth rates and aging populations. For example, Nigeria’s RNI was around 2.7%, India’s about 2.2%, and Brazil’s near 2.5%, in stark contrast to West Germany’s 0.1% and Sweden’s 0.3%. These differences highlighted the demographic divide between the rapidly growing populations of the developing world and the stagnant or slowly growing populations in developed countries.

Data from US Census International Database