Mapped: North America Population Patterns by Density
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From the icy expanses of the Arctic to the warm Caribbean sea, the North American continent covers nearly 25 million square kilometers, or about 15% of the Earth’s land area. Populating this vast region are nearly half a billion people, spread out from coast to valley, along the edges of arid scrublands and rainforests.
We visualize a map of North America population patterns, including Central America and the Caribbean, with spikes illustrating densely populated areas.
Data for this map is sourced from Statistics Canada, the World Bank, and WorldPop—a research group based out of the University of Southampton that tracks population growth and movement across the globe.
Ranked: Countries and Territories by Population Density
Deep in the Atlantic, seen as a small dot near Haiti on the map, the island state of Bermuda is the most densely populated jurisdiction on the continent. Measuring just 53 km² in area, and home to 65,000 people, results in an average population density of 1,266 people per km².
Also in the Caribbean, Barbados ranks second with an average population density 642 people/km², followed by Aruba, ranked third-highest at 550 people/km².
| Rank | Country/Territory | Average Population Density (per km²) | Area (km²) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🇧🇲 Bermuda | 1,226 | 53 |
| 2 | 🇧🇧 Barbados | 642 | 439 |
| 3 | 🇦🇼 Aruba | 550 | 193 |
| 4 | 🇭🇹 Haiti | 423 | 27,750 |
| 5 | 🇵🇷 Puerto Rico | 360 | 8,897 |
| 6 | 🇲🇶 Martinique | 325 | 1,130 |
| 7 | 🇸🇻 El Salvador | 303 | 21,040 |
| 8 | 🇱🇨 Saint Lucia | 292 | 617 |
| 9 | 🇻🇮 Virgin Islands | 285 | 346 |
| 10 | 🇻🇨 Saint Vincent & the Grenadines | 267 | 389 |
| 11 | 🇯🇲 Jamaica | 257 | 10,992 |
| 12 | 🇬🇵 Guadeloupe | 252 | 1,628 |
| 13 | 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic | 234 | 48,442 |
| 14 | 🇧🇶 Netherlands Antilles | 229 | 800 |
| 15 | 🇹🇹 Trinidad & Tobago | 212 | 5,128 |
| 16 | 🇦🇬 Antigua & Barbuda | 214 | 440 |
| 17 | 🇻🇬 British Virgin Islands | 206 | 153 |
| 18 | 🇰🇳 Saint Kitts & Nevis | 176 | 269 |
| 19 | 🇦🇮 Anguilla | 175 | 91 |
| 20 | 🇰🇾 Cayman Islands | 168 | 264 |
| 21 | 🇬🇹 Guatemala | 165 | 108,889 |
| 22 | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | 101 | 51,100 |
| 23 | 🇨🇺 Cuba | 102 | 109,884 |
| 24 | 🇭🇳 Honduras | 94 | 112,492 |
| 25 | 🇩🇲 Dominica | 91 | 750 |
| 26 | 🇲🇸 Montserrat | 91 | 103 |
| 27 | 🇹🇨 Turks & Caicos Islands | 75 | 616 |
| 28 | 🇲🇽 Mexico | 65 | 1,972,550 |
| 29 | 🇵🇦 Panama | 60 | 74,177 |
| 30 | 🇳🇮 Nicaragua | 54 | 130,370 |
| 31 | 🇺🇸 U.S. | 35 | 9,834,000 |
| 32 | 🇧🇸 The Bahamas | 29 | 13,880 |
| 33 | 🇵🇲 Saint-Pierre & Miquelon | 24 | 242 |
| 34 | 🇧🇿 Belize | 17 | 22,966 |
| 35 | 🇨🇦 Canada | 4 | 9,984,670 |
| 36 | 🇬🇱 Greenland | 0 | 2,166,086 |
| 37 | 🇺🇸 Navassa Island | 0 | 5 |
Naturally the largest countries on the continent—Canada, the U.S., and Mexico—have some of the lowest average population densities compared to other nations in the region.
However, thanks to their size, their overall population distribution is more apparent on a map of this scale. In Canada, the Greater Toronto Area is home to one-fifth the country’s entire population. In stark contrast, the rest of the country seems almost empty—averaging just 4 people/km².
Major U.S. cities—New York, Chicago, and San Francisco—also stand out, though the more regular dispersion of Americans, particularly in the Northeast, South, and Midwest can also be seen.
Interestingly, Monterrey in Mexico jumps out on the map; the city is built at the foot of Cerro de la Silla, and several districts are densely populated as a result.
Ranked: Continents by Population Density
How does North America compare to the other continents by population density?
Unsurprisingly, thanks to its large land area, as well as comparatively smaller population, North America is one of the least densely populated continents in the world, beaten only by Oceania, which averages 5 people/km², and Antarctica.
| Rank | Continent | Average Population Density (per/km²) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Asia | 149 |
| 2 | Africa | 49 |
| 3 | Europe | 32 |
| 4 | South America | 25 |
| 5 | North America | 25 |
| 6 | Oceania | 5 |
| 7 | Antarctica | 0 |
Source: World Population Review.
In comparison, Asia, while being the largest continent, is also home to 60% of the global population, and averages 149 people/km².
Demographics
The Fertility Rate of Every Country in the World
See which countries have fertility rates above or below replacement rates, and how that compares to their populations as of 2025.
Published
3 days ago
on
May 17, 2026
The Fertility Rate of Every Country in the World
See visuals like this from many other data creators on our Voronoi app. Download it for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.
Key Takeaways
- About 71% of the world’s population now lives in countries with birth rates below the replacement level needed to maintain population size.
- China’s fertility rate has fallen to just 1.0 births per woman, while India has also dropped below replacement level at 1.9.
- Sub-Saharan Africa has the world’s highest fertility rates, led by Chad, Somalia, and DR Congo.
Fertility rates are falling across much of the world, dropping from roughly five births per woman in the 1960s to a global average of 2.2 in 2024. The shift is reshaping long-term population growth, economic outlooks, and age demographics worldwide.
This visualization shows the fertility rate of every country and territory alongside its population size. Each segment is sized by population and shaded by fertility rate, revealing where birth rates remain high and where populations are aging rapidly.
The data comes from the United Nations World Population Prospects 2024 Revision, using 2025 medium-variant estimates for both population and fertility.
Most of the World Is Below Replacement Fertility
About 71% of the global population lives in countries or territories with fertility rates below the replacement level of 2.1 births per woman.
Replacement fertility refers to the birth rate needed for a population to maintain its size over time without immigration. Falling below that threshold for long periods can lead to aging populations, labor shortages, and slower economic growth.
Central to this global shift are India and China, the world’s two most populous countries.
The data table below shows population and fertility rates across 236 countries and territories.
| Country | Population (thousands) | Total Fertility Rate (TFR) |
|---|---|---|
| 🇮🇳 India | 1,460,000 | 1.94 |
| 🇨🇳 China | 1,420,000 | 1.02 |
| 🇺🇸 United States | 347,300 | 1.62 |
| 🇮🇩 Indonesia | 285,700 | 2.10 |
| 🇵🇰 Pakistan | 255,200 | 3.50 |
| 🇳🇬 Nigeria | 237,500 | 4.30 |
| 🇧🇷 Brazil | 212,800 | 1.60 |
| 🇧🇩 Bangladesh | 175,700 | 2.11 |
| 🇷🇺 Russia | 144,000 | 1.46 |
| 🇪🇹 Ethiopia | 135,500 | 3.81 |
| 🇲🇽 Mexico | 131,900 | 1.87 |
| 🇯🇵 Japan | 123,100 | 1.23 |
| 🇪🇬 Egypt | 118,400 | 2.71 |
| 🇵🇭 Philippines | 116,800 | 1.88 |
| 🇨🇩 DR Congo | 112,800 | 5.90 |
| 🇻🇳 Vietnam | 101,600 | 1.88 |
| 🇮🇷 Iran | 92,400 | 1.67 |
| 🇹🇷 Turkey | 87,700 | 1.62 |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | 84,100 | 1.46 |
| 🇹🇭 Thailand | 71,600 | 1.19 |
| 🇹🇿 Tanzania | 70,500 | 4.47 |
| 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 69,500 | 1.54 |
| 🇫🇷 France | 66,700 | 1.64 |
| 🇿🇦 South Africa | 64,800 | 2.19 |
| 🇮🇹 Italy | 59,100 | 1.21 |
| 🇰🇪 Kenya | 57,500 | 3.12 |
| 🇲🇲 Myanmar | 54,900 | 2.08 |
| 🇨🇴 Colombia | 53,400 | 1.62 |
| 🇰🇷 South Korea | 51,700 | 0.75 |
| 🇸🇩 Sudan | 51,700 | 4.19 |
| 🇺🇬 Uganda | 51,400 | 4.06 |
| 🇪🇸 Spain | 47,900 | 1.23 |
| 🇩🇿 Algeria | 47,400 | 2.67 |
| 🇮🇶 Iraq | 47,000 | 3.17 |
| 🇦🇷 Argentina | 45,900 | 1.50 |
| 🇦🇫 Afghanistan | 43,800 | 4.66 |
| 🇾🇪 Yemen | 41,800 | 4.41 |
| 🇨🇦 Canada | 40,100 | 1.33 |
| 🇦🇴 Angola | 39,000 | 4.95 |
| 🇺🇦 Ukraine | 39,000 | 1.00 |
| 🇲🇦 Morocco | 38,400 | 2.18 |
| 🇵🇱 Poland | 38,100 | 1.31 |
| 🇺🇿 Uzbekistan | 37,000 | 3.45 |
| 🇲🇾 Malaysia | 36,000 | 1.53 |
| 🇲🇿 Mozambique | 35,600 | 4.62 |
| 🇬🇭 Ghana | 35,100 | 3.30 |
| 🇵🇪 Peru | 34,600 | 1.94 |
| 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia | 34,600 | 2.29 |
| 🇲🇬 Madagascar | 32,700 | 3.84 |
| 🇨🇮 Ivory Coast | 32,700 | 4.17 |
| 🇨🇲 Cameroon | 29,900 | 4.19 |
| 🇳🇵 Nepal | 29,600 | 1.94 |
| 🇻🇪 Venezuela | 28,500 | 2.06 |
| 🇳🇪 Niger | 27,900 | 5.79 |
| 🇦🇺 Australia | 27,000 | 1.64 |
| 🇰🇵 Dem. People's Republic of Korea | 26,600 | 1.77 |
| 🇸🇾 Syria | 25,600 | 2.66 |
| 🇲🇱 Mali | 25,200 | 5.42 |
| 🇧🇫 Burkina Faso | 24,100 | 4.00 |
| 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | 23,200 | 1.94 |
| 🇹🇼 Taiwan | 23,100 | 0.86 |
| 🇲🇼 Malawi | 22,200 | 3.53 |
| 🇿🇲 Zambia | 21,900 | 3.97 |
| 🇹🇩 Chad | 21,000 | 5.94 |
| 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan | 20,800 | 2.95 |
| 🇨🇱 Chile | 19,900 | 1.13 |
| 🇸🇴 Somalia | 19,600 | 5.91 |
| 🇸🇳 Senegal | 18,900 | 3.71 |
| 🇷🇴 Romania | 18,900 | 1.71 |
| 🇬🇹 Guatemala | 18,700 | 2.26 |
| 🇳🇱 Netherlands | 18,400 | 1.44 |
| 🇪🇨 Ecuador | 18,300 | 1.79 |
| 🇰🇭 Cambodia | 17,900 | 2.51 |
| 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | 16,900 | 3.62 |
| 🇬🇳 Guinea | 15,100 | 4.04 |
| 🇧🇯 Benin | 14,800 | 4.42 |
| 🇷🇼 Rwanda | 14,600 | 3.59 |
| 🇧🇮 Burundi | 14,400 | 4.68 |
| 🇧🇴 Bolivia | 12,600 | 2.50 |
| 🇹🇳 Tunisia | 12,300 | 1.80 |
| 🇸🇸 South Sudan | 12,200 | 3.71 |
| 🇭🇹 Haiti | 11,900 | 2.59 |
| 🇧🇪 Belgium | 11,800 | 1.39 |
| 🇯🇴 Jordan | 11,500 | 2.57 |
| 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic | 11,500 | 2.19 |
| 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates | 11,300 | 1.21 |
| 🇭🇳 Honduras | 11,000 | 2.45 |
| 🇨🇺 Cuba | 10,900 | 1.45 |
| 🇹🇯 Tajikistan | 10,800 | 2.99 |
| 🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea | 10,800 | 3.03 |
| 🇸🇪 Sweden | 10,700 | 1.44 |
| 🇨🇿 Czechia | 10,600 | 1.47 |
| 🇵🇹 Portugal | 10,400 | 1.52 |
| 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan | 10,400 | 1.66 |
| 🇬🇷 Greece | 9,900 | 1.34 |
| 🇹🇬 Togo | 9,700 | 4.07 |
| 🇭🇺 Hungary | 9,600 | 1.50 |
| 🇮🇱 Israel | 9,500 | 2.75 |
| 🇦🇹 Austria | 9,100 | 1.33 |
| 🇧🇾 Belarus | 9,000 | 1.22 |
| 🇨🇭 Switzerland | 9,000 | 1.44 |
| 🇸🇱 Sierra Leone | 8,800 | 3.61 |
| 🇱🇦 Laos | 7,900 | 2.36 |
| 🇹🇲 Turkmenistan | 7,600 | 2.63 |
| 🇱🇾 Libya | 7,500 | 2.25 |
| 🇭🇰 Hong Kong | 7,400 | 0.74 |
| 🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan | 7,300 | 2.75 |
| 🇵🇾 Paraguay | 7,000 | 2.39 |
| 🇳🇮 Nicaragua | 7,000 | 2.18 |
| 🇧🇬 Bulgaria | 6,700 | 1.74 |
| 🇷🇸 Serbia | 6,700 | 1.50 |
| 🇨🇬 Congo | 6,500 | 4.05 |
| 🇸🇻 El Salvador | 6,400 | 1.75 |
| 🇩🇰 Denmark | 6,000 | 1.52 |
| 🇸🇬 Singapore | 5,900 | 0.96 |
| 🇱🇧 Lebanon | 5,800 | 2.21 |
| 🇱🇷 Liberia | 5,700 | 3.79 |
| 🇫🇮 Finland | 5,600 | 1.30 |
| 🇳🇴 Norway | 5,600 | 1.42 |
| 🇵🇸 Palestine | 5,600 | 3.19 |
| 🇨🇫 Central African Republic | 5,500 | 5.81 |
| 🇴🇲 Oman | 5,500 | 2.48 |
| 🇸🇰 Slovakia | 5,500 | 1.57 |
| 🇲🇷 Mauritania | 5,300 | 4.56 |
| 🇮🇪 Ireland | 5,300 | 1.60 |
| 🇳🇿 New Zealand | 5,200 | 1.65 |
| 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | 5,200 | 1.31 |
| 🇰🇼 Kuwait | 5,000 | 1.50 |
| 🇵🇦 Panama | 4,600 | 2.09 |
| 🇭🇷 Croatia | 3,900 | 1.47 |
| 🇬🇪 Georgia | 3,800 | 1.79 |
| 🇪🇷 Eritrea | 3,600 | 3.61 |
| 🇲🇳 Mongolia | 3,500 | 2.58 |
| 🇺🇾 Uruguay | 3,400 | 1.39 |
| 🇵🇷 Puerto Rico | 3,200 | 0.94 |
| 🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina | 3,100 | 1.50 |
| 🇶🇦 Qatar | 3,100 | 1.70 |
| 🇳🇦 Namibia | 3,100 | 3.17 |
| 🇲🇩 Moldova | 3,000 | 1.72 |
| 🇦🇲 Armenia | 3,000 | 1.71 |
| 🇯🇲 Jamaica | 2,800 | 1.34 |
| 🇱🇹 Lithuania | 2,800 | 1.22 |
| 🇬🇲 Gambia | 2,800 | 3.80 |
| 🇦🇱 Albania | 2,800 | 1.33 |
| 🇬🇦 Gabon | 2,600 | 3.54 |
| 🇧🇼 Botswana | 2,600 | 2.66 |
| 🇱🇸 Lesotho | 2,400 | 2.64 |
| 🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau | 2,200 | 3.68 |
| 🇸🇮 Slovenia | 2,100 | 1.58 |
| 🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea | 1,900 | 4.04 |
| 🇱🇻 Latvia | 1,900 | 1.35 |
| 🇲🇰 North Macedonia | 1,800 | 1.47 |
| 🇽🇰 Kosovo (under UNSC res. 1244) | 1,700 | 1.53 |
| 🇧🇭 Bahrain | 1,600 | 1.78 |
| 🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago | 1,500 | 1.52 |
| 🇹🇱 Timor-Leste | 1,400 | 2.56 |
| 🇨🇾 Cyprus | 1,400 | 1.37 |
| 🇪🇪 Estonia | 1,300 | 1.37 |
| 🇲🇺 Mauritius | 1,300 | 1.21 |
| 🇸🇿 Eswatini | 1,300 | 2.68 |
| 🇩🇯 Djibouti | 1,200 | 2.58 |
| 🇫🇯 Fiji | 930 | 2.25 |
| 🇰🇲 Comoros | 880 | 3.76 |
| 🇷🇪 Réunion | 880 | 2.13 |
| 🇸🇧 Solomon Islands | 840 | 3.47 |
| 🇬🇾 Guyana | 840 | 2.37 |
| 🇧🇹 Bhutan | 800 | 1.44 |
| 🇲🇴 Macao | 720 | 0.69 |
| 🇱🇺 Luxembourg | 680 | 1.40 |
| 🇸🇷 Suriname | 640 | 2.21 |
| 🇲🇪 Montenegro | 630 | 1.80 |
| 🇪🇭 Western Sahara | 600 | 2.15 |
| 🇲🇹 Malta | 550 | 1.11 |
| 🇲🇻 Maldives | 530 | 1.55 |
| 🇨🇻 Cape Verde | 530 | 1.50 |
| 🇧🇳 Brunei | 470 | 1.71 |
| 🇧🇿 Belize | 420 | 2.01 |
| 🇧🇸 Bahamas | 400 | 1.36 |
| 🇮🇸 Iceland | 400 | 1.50 |
| 🇬🇵 Guadeloupe | 370 | 2.05 |
| 🇲🇶 Martinique | 340 | 1.97 |
| 🇾🇹 Mayotte | 340 | 4.50 |
| 🇻🇺 Vanuatu | 340 | 3.53 |
| 🇬🇫 French Guiana | 310 | 3.29 |
| 🇳🇨 New Caledonia | 300 | 1.95 |
| 🇧🇧 Barbados | 280 | 1.70 |
| 🇵🇫 French Polynesia | 280 | 1.48 |
| 🇸🇹 Sao Tome and Principe | 240 | 3.53 |
| 🇼🇸 Samoa | 220 | 3.75 |
| 🇨🇼 Curacao | 190 | 1.07 |
| 🇱🇨 St. Lucia | 180 | 1.38 |
| 🇬🇺 Guam | 170 | 2.71 |
| 🇰🇮 Kiribati | 140 | 3.09 |
| 🇸🇨 Seychelles | 130 | 2.08 |
| 🇬🇩 Grenada | 120 | 1.46 |
| 🇫🇲 Micronesia | 110 | 2.71 |
| 🇦🇼 Aruba | 110 | 1.61 |
| 🇯🇪 Jersey | 100 | 1.38 |
| 🇹🇴 Tonga | 100 | 3.07 |
| 🇻🇨 St. Vincent & Grenadines | 100 | 1.75 |
| 🇦🇬 Antigua and Barbuda | 90 | 1.58 |
| 🇻🇮 United States Virgin Islands | 80 | 2.07 |
| 🇮🇲 Isle of Man | 80 | 1.53 |
| 🇦🇩 Andorra | 80 | 1.10 |
| 🇰🇾 Cayman Islands | 80 | 1.51 |
| 🇩🇲 Dominica | 70 | 1.47 |
| 🇧🇲 Bermuda | 60 | 1.41 |
| 🇬🇬 Guernsey | 60 | 1.37 |
| 🇫🇴 Faroe Islands | 60 | 2.20 |
| 🇬🇱 Greenland | 60 | 1.91 |
| 🇰🇳 St. Kitts & Nevis | 50 | 1.51 |
| 🇹🇨 Turks and Caicos Islands | 50 | 1.44 |
| 🇦🇸 American Samoa | 50 | 2.25 |
| 🇸🇽 Sint Maarten | 40 | 1.43 |
| 🇲🇵 Northern Mariana Islands | 40 | 2.28 |
| 🇱🇮 Liechtenstein | 40 | 1.54 |
| 🇬🇮 Gibraltar | 40 | 1.88 |
| 🇻🇬 British Virgin Islands | 40 | 1.06 |
| 🇲🇨 Monaco | 40 | 2.09 |
| 🇲🇭 Marshall Islands | 40 | 2.82 |
| 🇸🇲 San Marino | 30 | 1.16 |
| 🇧🇶 Bonaire | 30 | 1.45 |
| 🇲🇫 Saint Martin (French part) | 20 | 2.63 |
| 🇵🇼 Palau | 20 | 1.86 |
| 🇦🇮 Anguilla | 10 | 1.35 |
| 🇨🇰 Cook Islands | 10 | 2.00 |
| 🇳🇷 Nauru | 10 | 3.25 |
| 🇧🇱 St. Barthélemy | 10 | 0.83 |
| 🇼🇫 Wallis & Futuna | 10 | 1.40 |
| 🇹🇻 Tuvalu | 10 | 3.14 |
| 🇵🇲 Saint Pierre and Miquelon | 10 | 1.28 |
| 🇸🇭 St. Helena | 10 | 1.64 |
| 🇲🇸 Montserrat | 0 | 1.45 |
| 🇫🇰 Falkland Islands | 0 | 1.69 |
| 🇹🇰 Tokelau | 0 | 2.57 |
| 🇳🇺 Niue | 0 | 2.46 |
India’s fertility rate sits at 1.94, while China’s is much lower at 1.02 due in part to its one-child policy, which was enforced from 1980–2015. Despite policy reversals and birth subsidies, no country that experienced a fertility decline as steep as China’s has fully recovered.
Fertility Trends Divided Among the Largest Populations
Among the world’s 10 largest populations, six are below replacement fertility. Alongside India and China, the U.S., Indonesia, Brazil, and Russia all fall below 2.1 births per woman.
Conversely, several of the world’s most populous countries remain well above replacement. Pakistan has a fertility rate of 3.50, Nigeria sits at 4.30, and Ethiopia at 3.81.
Future global population growth is increasingly concentrated in a smaller number of high-fertility countries, particularly across Sub-Saharan Africa and parts of South Asia.
Sub-Saharan Africa Has the World’s Highest Fertility
Overall, the highest fertility rates in the dataset are found in Sub-Saharan Africa, where the population-weighted fertility rate is about four. Chad (5.94 births per woman), Somalia (5.91), and DR Congo (5.90) recorded the region’s highest fertility rates in 2025.
Sub-Saharan Africa is expected to drive most of the world’s net population growth through 2100, with Nigeria alone projected to surpass the U.S. in population before 2050.
These countries stand in sharp contrast to places with very low fertility. Macao has the lowest fertility rate in the dataset at 0.69, followed by Hong Kong at 0.74 and South Korea at 0.75.
The gap between the world’s highest- and lowest-fertility countries is now historically wide, highlighting how uneven demographic change has become across regions.
Learn More on the Voronoi App 
If you enjoyed today’s post, check out Comparing Fertility Rates Across the Western World on Voronoi.Use This Visualization
Demographics
Charted: The Global Fertility Divide
Fertility rates by region show global population shifts, with Africa leading growth while most regions fall below replacement levels.
Published
2 weeks ago
on
May 4, 2026
Charted: The Global Fertility Divide
See visuals like this from many other data creators on our Voronoi app. Download it for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.
Key Takeaways
- Africa stands apart with a fertility rate of 4.0 children per woman, far above the 2.1 replacement level.
- Most of the world—including Asia, Europe, and the Americas—now falls below replacement, pointing to slower population growth ahead.
A widening gap is emerging in global birth rates.
This chart shows population-weighted total fertility rates (TFR) across major world regions, based on data from the UN World Population Prospects 2024 Revision, and how they compare to the 2.1 replacement level.
While Africa remains far above this threshold, most of the world, including Asia, Europe, and the Americas, has already fallen below it. This split highlights where future population growth is likely to be concentrated.
Africa Stands Apart
Africa’s fertility rate of 4.0 children per woman is the highest of any region. It is nearly double the global average of 2.2 and close to three times Europe’s rate of 1.4.
| Region | Pop-Weighted TFR | Population (Millions) | % of World Pop |
|---|---|---|---|
| Africa | 4.0 | 1549.8 | 18.8% |
| Middle East | 2.3 | 388.2 | 4.7% |
| Oceania | 2.0 | 46.6 | 0.6% |
| Asia | 1.7 | 4445.8 | 54.0% |
| South America | 1.7 | 438.1 | 5.3% |
| North America | 1.7 | 617.3 | 7.5% |
| Europe | 1.4 | 745.8 | 9.1% |
| World (total) | 2.2 | 8231.6 | 100.0% |
With a rapidly growing population base, Africa is expected to drive a significant share of global population growth in the coming decades.
Higher fertility rates are often linked to younger populations, lower urbanization, and differences in access to education and healthcare.
Below Replacement in Most Regions
Many parts of the world now have fertility rates below the replacement level of 2.1. Asia, North America, and South America each sit at 1.7, while Europe trails at 1.4.
These levels point to aging populations, slower natural population growth, and potential workforce pressures over time. In many countries, immigration and family-support policies are becoming more important parts of the demographic outlook.
Population Weight Matters
Asia accounts for 54% of the global population, meaning its relatively low fertility rate has an outsized influence on the global average.
By contrast, regions like Oceania and the Middle East have higher fertility rates but much smaller populations. This helps explain why the global average remains at 2.2 even as most major regions fall below replacement.
Learn More on the Voronoi App
If you enjoyed today’s post, check out When Will the Global Population Reach Its Peak? on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.