2017 Rate of Natural Increase

In 2017, the world’s rate of natural increase (RNI)—the difference between the crude birth rate and crude death rate, excluding migration—stood at approximately 1.1% per year, translating to a global population growth of about 83 million people annually. Africa exhibited the highest RNI among continents, with many Sub-Saharan countries such as Niger, Angola, and the Democratic Republic of Congo experiencing RNIs exceeding 2.5%, driven by high birth rates and relatively young populations. In contrast, Europe had a near-zero or even negative RNI in several countries like Germany and Italy, where deaths outnumbered births, reflecting aging populations and low fertility rates. Asia, home to over half the world’s population, displayed wide variation: South and Southeast Asian nations such as India and the Philippines had moderate RNIs around 1–1.5%, while East Asian countries like Japan and South Korea had very low or negative RNIs. The Americas showed intermediate rates, with Latin American countries generally having higher RNIs than North America, where the United States and Canada had modest natural increases. This global pattern highlighted stark contrasts: while many developing nations continued to grow rapidly due to high fertility, developed countries faced stagnation or decline, underscoring the demographic transition underway worldwide.

Data from US Census International Database