Visualized: The World’s Population at 8 Billion

In just 48 years, the world population has doubled in size, jumping from four to eight billion

Data visualization showing a population breakdown of the world's countries in 2022

By Nick Routley

Article/Editing:

Avery Koop

Graphics/Design:

Christina Kostandi

World at 8 Billion Report

Visualized: The World’s Population at 8 Billion

At some point in late 2022, the eight billionth human being will enter the world, ushering in a new milestone for humanity.

In just 48 years, the world population has doubled in size, jumping from four to eight billion. Of course, humans are not equally spread throughout the planet, and countries take all shapes and sizes. The visualizations in this article aim to build context on how the eight billion people are distributed around the world.

For extended coverage of this moment and what it means to the world, you can get access to our full report and webinar by signing up to VC+, our premium newsletter.

Now, here’s a look at each country’s population as of September 2022:

Global Rank Country/Region Population (2022)

1 🇨🇳 China 1,451,832,064

2 🇮🇳 India 1,410,982,243

3 🇺🇸 United States 335,391,957

4 🇮🇩 Indonesia 280,139,383

5 🇵🇰 Pakistan 230,918,073

6 🇳🇬 Nigeria 218,243,241

7 🇧🇷 Brazil 215,986,577

8 🇧🇩 Bangladesh 168,436,792

9 🇷🇺 Russia 146,074,130

10 🇲🇽 Mexico 132,030,739

11 Japan 125,619,457

12 Ethiopia 121,709,461

13 Philippines 112,939,493

14 Egypt 106,839,825

15 Vietnam 98,311,965

16 Democratic Republic of Congo 96,104,525

17 Iran 86,465,398

16 Turkey 86,415,852

19 Germany 84,385,892

20 Thailand 70,192,866

21 United Kingdom 68,691,253

22 France 65,597,276

23 Tanzania 63,802,882

24 South Africa 61,027,608

25 Italy 60,264,287

26 Kenya 56,557,929

27 Myanmar 55,236,333

28 Colombia 52,123,686

29 South Korea 51,367,770

30 Uganda 49,222,889

31 Spain 46,795,195

32 Sudan 46,265,964

33 Argentina 46,141,195

34 Algeria 45,695,757

35 Ukraine 43,156,242

36 Iraq 42,348,230

37 Afghanistan 40,993,541

38 Canada 38,495,773

39 Morocco 37,914,397

40 Poland 37,754,428

41 Saudi Arabia 36,069,266

42 Angola 35,327,540

43 Uzbekistan 34,589,376

44 Peru 34,031,086

45 Mozambique 33,346,961

46 Malaysia 33,319,730

47 Ghana 32,594,574

48 Yemen 31,371,445

49 Nepal 30,357,476

50 Madagascar 29,381,411

51 Venezuela 28,257,503

52 Cameroon 28,111,718

53 Cote d'Ivoire 27,925,649

54 Niger 26,344,186

55 Australia 26,178,342

56 North Korea 26,033,387

57 Taiwan 23,913,311

58 Burkina Faso 22,270,251

59 Mali 21,646,251

60 Sri Lanka 21,615,470

61 Malawi 20,304,147

62 Chile 19,489,734

63 Zambia 19,613,655

64 Kazakhstan 19,292,183

65 Romania 18,956,053

66 Guatemala 18,688,479

67 Syria 18,506,569

68 Ecuador 18,262,799

69 Senegal 17,793,385

70 Chad 17,553,601

71 Cambodia 17,252,457

72 Netherlands 17,219,859

73 Somalia 16,951,984

74 Zimbabwe 15,362,663

75 Guinea 13,981,705

76 Rwanda 13,712,855

77 Benin 12,878,142

78 Burundi 12,740,471

79 Tunisia 12,101,418

80 Bolivia 12,039,974

81 Haiti 11,721,737

82 Belgium 11,703,272

83 South Sudan 11,494,756

84 Cuba 11,311,223

85 Dominican Republic 11,096,411

86 Czechia 10,753,478

87 Jordan 10,434,463

88 Azerbaijan 10,347,430

89 Greece 10,310,847

90 Honduras 10,269,662

91 Sweden 10,241,804

92 United Arab Emirates 10,164,747

93 Portugal 10,130,876

94 Hungary 9,605,987

95 Tajikistan 10,042,202

96 Belarus 9,442,398

97 Papua New Guinea 9,342,727

98 Austria 9,122,566

99 Israel 8,969,013

100 Switzerland 8,798,256

101 Togo 8,737,152

102 Serbia 8,659,648

103 Sierra Leone 8,357,040

104 Hong Kong SAR 7,635,279

105 Laos 7,519,384

106 Paraguay 7,333,782

107 Libya 7,086,602

108 Bulgaria 6,833,885

109 Nicaragua 6,805,420

110 Kyrgyzstan 6,774,001

111 Lebanon 6,758,016

112 El Salvador 6,560,071

113 Turkmenistan 6,236,038

114 Singapore 5,954,898

115 Congo 5,839,721

116 Denmark 5,838,070

117 Finland 5,559,984

118 Norway 5,517,561

119 Slovakia 5,465,545

120 Oman 5,414,812

121 Palestine 5,381,277

122 Liberia 5,338,398

123 Costa Rica 5,200,150

124 Ireland 5,064,136

125 Central African Republic 5,025,077

126 Mauritania 4,940,298

127 New Zealand 4,911,293

128 Panama 4,472,108

129 Kuwait 4,416,533

130 Croatia 4,049,640

131 Moldova 4,013,174

132 Georgia 3,972,171

133 Eritrea 3,659,593

134 Uruguay 3,500,798

135 Mongolia 3,400,693

136 Bosnia and Herzegovina 3,235,985

137 Armenia 2,975,648

138 Qatar 2,994,073

139 Jamaica 2,990,290

140 Albania 2,870,809

141 Puerto Rico 2,704,519

142 Namibia 2,648,122

143 Lithuania 2,640,339

144 Gambia 2,578,866

145 Botswana 2,462,832

146 Gabon 2,349,783

147 Lesotho 2,180,846

148 North Macedonia 2,083,183

149 Slovenia 2,079,575

150 Guinea-Bissau 2,077,878

151 Bahrain 1,845,321

152 Latvia 1,840,901

153 Equatorial Guinea 1,514,454

154 Trinidad and Tobago 1,409,672

155 Timor 1,377,091

156 Estonia 1,328,527

157 Mauritius 1,276,493

158 Cyprus 1,227,303

159 Eswatini 1,187,627

160 Djibouti 1,021,185

161 Comoros 913,105

162 Fiji 911,185

163 Réunion 909,806

164 Guyana 795,114

165 Bhutan 791,064

166 Solomon Islands 726,764

167 Macao SAR 669,734

168 Luxembourg 649,600

169 Montenegro 628,243

170 Western Sahara 632,115

171 Suriname 598,608

172 Cape Verde 569,810

173 Micronesia (Fed. States of) 561,300

174 Maldives 561,291

175 Brunei 447,038

176 Malta 444,182

177 Belize 414,449

178 Bahamas 401,818

179 Guadeloupe 400,277

180 Martinique 374,617

181 Iceland 346,259

182 Vanuatu 324,088

183 French Guiana 317,076

184 New Caledonia 291,762

185 Mayotte 288,384

186 Barbados 288,162

187 French Polynesia 284,580

188 Sao Tome and Principe 228,652

189 Samoa 201,401

190 Saint Lucia 185,519

191 Channel Islands 177,517

192 Guam 172,146

193 Curaçao 165,604

194 Kiribati 123,690

195 Grenada 113,966

196 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 111,732

197 Tonga 108,440

198 Aruba 107,787

199 United States Virgin Islands 104,083

200 Antigua and Barbuda 99,773

201 Seychelles 99,725

202 Isle of Man 86,049

203 Andorra 77,542

204 Dominica 72,387

205 Cayman Islands 67,492

206 Bermuda 61,769

207 Marshall Islands 60,095

208 Northern Mariana Islands 58,336

209 Greenland 56,991

210 American Samoa 54,920

211 Saint Kitts and Nevis 54,052

212 Faeroe Islands 49,281

213 Sint Maarten 43,991

214 Turks and Caicos 39,924

215 Monaco 39,873

216 Saint Martin 40,198

217 Liechtenstein 38,374

218 San Marino 34,091

219 Gibraltar 33,669

220 British Virgin Islands 30,687

221 Caribbean Netherlands 26,779

222 Palau 18,288

223 Cook Islands 17,600

224 Anguilla 15,308

225 Tuvalu 12,126

226 Nauru 10,978

227 Wallis and Futuna 10,818

228 Saint Barthelemy 9,945

229 Saint Helena 6,118

230 Saint Pierre & Miquelon 5,732

231 Montserrat 4,999

232 Falkland Islands 3,723

233 Niue 1,651

234 Tokelau 1,396

235 Holy See 806

Below are regional breakdowns of population.

Africa’s Population by Country

As of 2022, Africa’s total population stands at 1.4 billion people. Many of the countries with the fastest growth rates are located in Africa and by 2050, the population of the continent is expected to jump to 2.5 billion.

Data visualization showing a population breakdown of African countries in 2022

Nigeria is Africa’s most populous country and its largest economy. Based on current growth rates, Nigeria’s largest city, Lagos, could even emerge as the world’s top megacity by the end of the century.

Africa has by far the lowest median age of any of the other continents.

Asia’s Population by Country

With 4.7 billion people in 2022, Asia is by far the world’s most populous region.

The continent is dominated by the two massive population centers of China and India. In 2023, a big shift will occur, with India surpassing China to become the world’s most populous country. China has held top spot for centuries, but the mismatch between the two countries’ growth rates made it only a matter of time before this milestone arrived.

Data visualization showing a population breakdown of Asian countries in 2022

Asia is a region of contrast when it comes to population growth. On the one end are countries like Singapore and Japan, which are actually shrinking. On the other, are Middle Eastern nations like Oman and Qatar, which have robust population growth rates of 4-5%.

Vietnam is on the cusp of becoming the 15th country to surpass the 100 million population mark.

Europe’s Population by Country

Europe’s population in 2022 is 750 million people—more than twice the size of the United States.

A century ago, Europe’s population was close to 30% of the world total. Today, that figure stands at less than 10%. This is, in part, due to population growth throughout other regions of the world.

More importantly though, Europe’s population is contracting in a number of places—Eastern Europe in particular. Many of the countries with the slowest growth rates are located in the Balkans and former Soviet Bloc countries.

Data visualization showing a population breakdown of European countries in 2022

Russia remains Europe’s largest country by population. Although the country’s landmass extends all the way across Asia, three-quarters of Russia’s people live on the European side of the country.

Germany is the second largest country in Europe, followed by the UK, France, and Italy.

Ukraine is the seventh largest population center in Europe, but it remains to be seen how the current conflict with Russia impacts the country’s long-term population prospects.

North America’s Population by Country

North America’s population is 602 million people as of 2022.

The continent is dominated by the United States, which makes up more than half of the total population. America’s population is still growing modestly (by global standards), but perhaps more interesting are the internal migration patterns that are occurring. States like Texas and Florida are seeing an influx from other states.

Data visualization showing a population breakdown of North American countries in 2022

Canada has one of the highest population growth rates of major developed economies thanks to international migration.

Mexico is currently the 10th most populous country, but will eventually be bumped from the top 10 list by fast-growing African nations.

South America’s Population by Country

The population of South America in 2022 is 439 million. Brazil makes up nearly half of that total.

Data visualization showing a population breakdown of South American countries in 2022

Sometime this decade, Colombia’s capital, Bogotá, will become the region’s fifth megacity (which is defined as having a population of 10 million or more). São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, and Lima are South America’s current megacities.

Oceania’s Population by Country

The population of the Oceania region is 44 million people—just slightly higher than the population of California.

Australia, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea make up the lion’s share of the population of this region.

Data visualization showing a population breakdown of Oceania's countries in 2022

Interestingly, many of the smallest countries by population can also be found in this region.

When Will Earth’s Population Hit 9 Billion?

The next global population milestone—nine billion—will likely be hit sometime in the 2030s.

In fact, Earth’s population is expected to continue growing until it hits a peak at some point in the 2080s—possibly over the 10 billion mark.

world at 8 billion report

Where does this data come from?

Source: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division via Worldometer’s live tracker (as of Sept 27, 2022).

Context: The UN has estimated that November 15th, 2022, will be the date that the world population officially hits 8 billion.

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MARKETSThe Biggest Tech Talent Hubs in the U.S. and Canada

6.5 million skilled tech workers currently work in the U.S. and Canada. Here we look at the largest tech hubs across the two countries

Published 7 days ago on September 21, 2022

By

Nick Routley

The Biggest Tech Talent Hubs in the U.S. and Canada

The tech workforce just keeps growing. In fact, there are now an estimated 6.5 million tech workers between the U.S. and Canada — 5.5 million of which work in the United States.

This infographic draws from a report by CBRE to determine which tech talent markets in the U.S. and Canada are the largest. The data looks at total workforce in the sector, as well as the change in tech worker population over time in various cities.

The report also classifies which metro areas and regions can rightly be considered tech hubs in the first place, by looking at a variety of factors including cost of living, average educational attainment, and tech employment levels as a share of different industries.

The Top Tech Hubs in the U.S.

Silicon Valley, in California’s Bay Area, remains the most prominent (and expensive) U.S. tech hub, with a talent pool of nearly 380,000 tech workers.

Here’s a look at the top tech talent markets in the country in terms of total worker population:

🇺🇸 Market Total Tech Talent % Talent Growth (2016-2021)

SF Bay Area 378,870 13%

New York Metro 344,520 3%

Washington D.C. 259,310 6%

Los Angeles 235,800 10%

Seattle 189,570 32%

Dallas/Ft. Worth 187,950 15%

Chicago 167,560 6%

Boston 166,450 2%

Atlanta 145,080 7%

Denver 117,620 23%

Philadelphia 115,450 7%

Minneapolis 100,990 5%

Phoenix 99,600 18%

Houston 98,930 -2%

Detroit 93,770 5%

Austin 84,680 21%

Baltimore 79,000 8%

San Diego 77,780 16%

Raleigh/Durham 69,050 11%

Portland 67,410 28%

South Florida 66,660 8%

Charlotte 61,950 22%

Salt Lake City 55,930 29%

St. Louis 53,910 2%

Kansas City 52,500 0%

Tampa 52,240 13%

Columbus 50,390 4%

America’s large, coastal cities still contain the lion’s share of tech talent, but mid-sized tech hubs like Salt Lake City, Portland, and Denver have put up strong growth numbers in recent years. Seattle, which is home to both Amazon and Microsoft, posted an impressive 32% growth rate over the last five years.

Emerging tech hubs include areas like Raleigh-Durham. The two cities have nearly 70,000 employed tech workers and a strong talent pipeline, seeing a 28% increase in degree completions in fields like Math/Statistics and Computer Engineering year-over-year to 2020. In fact, the entire state of North Carolina is becoming an increasingly attractive business hub.

Houston was the one city on this list that had a negative growth rate, at -2%.

The Top Tech Hubs in Canada

Tech giants like Google, Meta, and Amazon are continuously and aggressively growing their presence in Canada, further solidifying the country’s status as the next big destination for tech talent. Here are the country’s four tech hubs with a total worker population of more than 50,000:

🇨🇦 Market Total Tech Talent % Talent Growth (2016-2021)

Toronto 289,700 44%

Montreal 148,900 27%

Vancouver 115,400 63%

Ottawa 81,200 22%

Toronto saw the most absolute growth tech positions in 2021, adding 88,900 jobs. The tech sector in Canada’s largest city has seen a lot of momentum in recent years, and is now ranked by CBRE as North America’s #3 tech hub, after the SF Bay Area and New York City.

Vancouver’s tech talent population increased the most from its original figure, climbing 63%. Seattle-based companies like Microsoft and Amazon have established sizable offices in the city, adding to the already thriving tech scene. Furthermore, Google is set to build a submarine high-speed fiber optic cable connecting Canada to Asia, with a terminus in Vancouver.

Not to be left behind, Ottawa has also taken giant strides to increase their tech talent and stamp their presence. The country’s capital even has the highest concentration of tech employment in its workforce, thanks in part to the success of Shopify.

Map showing tech employment concentration in the U.S. and Canada

The small, but well-known tech hub of Waterloo also had a very high concentration on tech employment (9.6%). The region has seen its tech workforce grow by 8% over the past five years.

Six out of the top 10 cities by tech workforce concentration are located in Canada.

Evolution of Tech Hubs

The post-COVID era has seen a shifting definition of what a tech hub means. It’s clear that remote work is here to stay, and as workers migrate to chase affordability and comfort, traditional tech hubs are seeing some decline — or at least slower growth — in their population of tech workers.

While it isn’t evident that there is a mass exodus of tech talent from traditional coastal hubs, the rise in high-paying tech jobs in smaller markets across the country could point to a trend and is positive for the industry.

While more workers with great talent, resources, and education continue to opt for cost-friendly places to reside and work remotely, will newer markets like Charlotte, Tennessee, and Calgary see a rise of tech companies, or will large corporations and startups alike continue to opt for the larger cities on the coast?

By

Dorothy Neufeld

Visualizing Interest Rates Since 2020

In March 2020, the U.S. Federal Reserve cut already depressed interest rates to historic lows amid an unraveling COVID-19 pandemic.

Fast-forward to 2022, and the central bank is grappling with a very different economic situation⁠ that includes high inflation, low unemployment, and increasing wage growth. Given these conditions, it raised interest rates to 2.25% up from 0% in just five months.

The above visualization from Jan Varsava shows U.S. interest rates over the last two years along with its impact on Treasury yields, often considered a key indicator for the economy.

Timeline of Interest Rates

Below, we show how U.S. interest rates have changed over the course of the pandemic:

Date Federal Funds Rate (Range) Rate Change (bps)

July 27, 2022 2.25% to 2.50% +75

June 16, 2022 1.50% to 1.75% +75

May 5, 2022 0.75% to 1.00% +50

March 17, 2022 0.25% to 0.50% +25

March 16, 2020 0.00% to 0.25% -100

March 3, 2020 1.00% to 1.25% -150

In early 2020, the Federal Reserve cut interest rates from 1% to 0% in emergency meetings. The U.S. economy then jumped back from its shortest recession ever recorded, partially supported by massive policy stimulus.

But by 2022, as the inflation rate hit 40-year highs, the central bank had to make its first rate increase in over two years. During the following Federal Reserve meetings, interest rates were then hiked 50 basis points, and then 75 basis points two times shortly after.

Despite these efforts to rein in inflation, price pressures remain high. The war in Ukraine, supply disruptions, and rising demand all contribute to higher prices, along with increasing public-debt loads. In fact, a Federal Reserve estimate suggests that inflation was 2.5% higher due to the $1.9 trillion stimulus, an effect of “fiscal inflation.”

Impact on the Treasury Yield Curve

The sharp rise in interest rates has sent shockwaves through markets. The S&P 500 Index has steadily declined 19% year-to-date, and the NASDAQ Composite Index has fallen over 27%.

Bond markets are also showing signs of uncertainty, with the 10-year minus 2-year Treasury yield curve acting as a prime example. This yield curve subtracts the return on short-term government bonds from long-term government bonds.

When long-term bond yields are lower than short-term yields—in other words, the yield curve inverts—it indicates that markets predict slower future growth. In recent history, the yield curve inverting has often signaled a recession. The table below shows periods of yield curve inversions for one month or more since 1978.

Yield Curve Inversion Date Number of Months Maximum Difference (10 yr - 2 yr bps)

Aug 1978 21 -241

Sep 1980 13 -170

Jan 1982 4 -71

Jun 1982 1 -34

Dec 1988 6 -45

Aug 1989 2 -18

Jun 1998 1 -7

Feb 2000 10 -51

Feb 2006 1 -16

Jun 2006 1 -7

Aug 2006 7 -19

Jul 2022 2* -48

*Data as of September 9, 2022

Source: Federal Reserve

For example, the yield curve inverted in February 2000 to a bottom of -51 basis points difference between the 10-year Treasury yield and the 2-year Treasury yield. In March 2001, the U.S. economy went into recession as the Dotcom Bubble burst.

More recently, the yield curve has inverted to its steepest level in two decades.

This trend is extending to other countries as well. Both New Zealand and the UK’s yield curves inverted in August. In Australia, the yield spread between 3-year and 10-year bond futures—its primary measure—was at its narrowest in a decade.

What’s On the Horizon?

Sustained Treasury yield inversions have sometimes occurred after tightening monetary policy.

In both 1980 and 2000, the Federal Reserve increased interest rates to fight inflation. For instance, when interest rates jumped to 20% in 1981 under Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker, the U.S. Treasury yield inverted over 150 basis points.

This suggests that monetary policy can have a large impact on the direction of the yield curve. That’s because short-term interest rates rise when the central bank raises interest rates to combat inflation.

On the flip side, long-term bonds like the 10-year Treasury yield can be affected by growth prospects and market sentiment. If growth expectations are low and market uncertainty is high, it may cause yields to fall. Taken together, whether or not the economy could be headed for a recession remains unclear.

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