2016 Rate of Natural Increase

In 2016, the world’s rate of natural increase (RNI)—the difference between crude birth rate and crude death rate, excluding migration—stood at approximately 1.1% per year, meaning the global population was growing by about 83 million people annually. Africa had the highest RNI, with many countries such as Niger and Uganda exceeding 3% per year, driven by high birth rates and relatively young populations. Asia, home to the majority of the world’s population, had a moderate RNI, with countries like India and Pakistan experiencing rates between 1.5% and 2%, while China’s RNI was lower, around 0.5%, due to declining fertility. Latin America and the Caribbean had RNIs between 1% and 1.5%, reflecting a transition toward lower birth rates. In contrast, Europe’s RNI was close to zero or even negative in some countries such as Germany, Russia, and Italy, where deaths outnumbered births, resulting in natural population decline. This stark contrast highlights the demographic divide: high RNIs in less developed regions, fueling rapid population growth, and low or negative RNIs in more developed regions, leading to aging and shrinking populations.

Data from US Census International Database