While our planet now houses over 8 billion unique stories, a closer look at the statistics reveals a world in dramatic demographic flux, from India surpassing China as the most populous nation to a global median age of just 30.4 years.
Key Takeaways
- In 2023, the global population reached 8.045 billion individuals, with a growth rate of 0.88% from the previous year
- As of 2022, India had the largest population at 1.428 billion individuals, surpassing China
- In 2021, the median age of the world population was 30.4 years, indicating a youthful global demographic
- Worldwide, 73 million individuals were forcibly displaced as refugees or asylum-seekers in 2023
- In 2023, 783 million people aged 65+ faced elevated risks of cardiovascular diseases
- Diabetes affected 537 million adults (20-79 years) globally in 2021, projected to 783 million by 2045
- Globally, adult literacy rate for ages 15+ reached 87% in 2022
- In 2021, 244 million children and youth were out of school worldwide
- Tertiary enrollment globally was 40% in 2020
- In 2022, global unemployment rate was 5.1% for individuals aged 15+
- In the US, median weekly earnings for full-time workers were $1,100 in 2023
- Globally, 205 million people were unemployed in 2022
- In 2023, 58% of US adults owned smartphones
- Globally, 5.3 billion people used internet in 2023
- In the US, 72% of adults used social media daily in 2023
Global demographics are shifting with population growth slowing and aging increasing worldwide.
Demographics
- In 2023, the global population reached 8.045 billion individuals, with a growth rate of 0.88% from the previous year
- As of 2022, India had the largest population at 1.428 billion individuals, surpassing China
- In 2021, the median age of the world population was 30.4 years, indicating a youthful global demographic
- Women comprise 49.6% of the global population, totaling approximately 4 billion individuals in 2023
- In the United States, the Hispanic or Latino population grew to 62.1 million individuals, or 18.7% of the total population in 2020
- Africa's population is projected to double to 2.5 billion individuals by 2050, driven by high fertility rates
- In 2022, there were 258 million international migrants worldwide, representing 3.36% of the global population
- The urban population worldwide reached 56% of the total population in 2022, equating to 4.5 billion individuals
- In Europe, the population aged 65 and over accounted for 21.3% in 2023, totaling about 110 million individuals
- China's population declined by 850,000 individuals in 2022, marking the first drop since 1961
- In 2023, the world's youth population (aged 15-24) stood at 1.2 billion individuals
- The United States had 331.4 million residents as per the 2020 Census
- Globally, 26% of the population lived in urban agglomerations of 1 million or more in 2022
- Japan's population in 2023 was 124.3 million, with 29.1% aged 65+
- In 2021, 1.82 billion children under 15 lived worldwide
- Brazil's population reached 203 million in 2022, with 87% urban dwellers
- The global sex ratio at birth was 105 boys per 100 girls in 2023
- In 2022, Nigeria's population hit 218 million, projected to be the world's third largest by 2050
- Europe's total population was 745 million in 2023
- In 2020, 15% of the global population was aged 60+, totaling 1.1 billion individuals
- Pakistan's population grew to 241 million in 2023
- In the EU, the population increased by 0.3% to 448 million in 2022
- Global life expectancy at birth reached 73.4 years in 2023 for both sexes
- Indonesia's population was 275 million in 2023
- In 2022, 47% of the world's population lived in Asia
- Russia's population stood at 144 million in 2023, declining due to low fertility
- Mexico's population reached 126 million in 2022
- In 2023, Bangladesh had 172 million people, densely populated at 1,265 per sq km
- Australia's population grew to 26.4 million in 2023
- In 2022, the Philippines population was 115 million
Demographics Interpretation
The world's population script for 2023 reads like a blockbuster sequel where India takes the starring role from China, Africa is cast for explosive growth, and Europe gets a supporting part as the wise elder, all while humanity crowds into a backlot that is increasingly urban.
Education
- Globally, adult literacy rate for ages 15+ reached 87% in 2022
- In 2021, 244 million children and youth were out of school worldwide
- Tertiary enrollment globally was 40% in 2020
- In the US, 94% of 25-29 year-olds completed high school in 2022
- Women aged 25+ had a global literacy rate of 83% in 2022
- Sub-Saharan Africa had 29% primary school completion rate for girls in 2020
- In OECD countries, 45% of adults had tertiary education in 2022
- India enrolled 265 million students in schools in 2022
- Global youth literacy rate (15-24) was 92% in 2022
- In China, 60% of high school graduates enter university in 2023
- Early childhood education reached 50% globally in 2021
- In the EU, 39% of 25-34 year-olds had tertiary degrees in 2022
- Brazil's literacy rate for adults was 93% in 2022
- 750 million adults worldwide remain illiterate in 2023
- In South Korea, 70% of 25-34 year-olds hold tertiary degrees
- Global public spending on education averaged 4.5% of GDP in 2021
- Nigeria had 10 million out-of-school children in 2022
- In Canada, 66% of adults have post-secondary education
- Finland's PISA scores ranked top globally, with students excelling in reading
- In 2022, 85% of US children aged 3-5 attended preschool
- Japan's tertiary attainment for women 25-34 was 61% in 2022
- Global average years of schooling reached 8.6 in 2022
- In Germany, vocational training covers 50% of upper secondary students
- Pakistan's female literacy rate was 46% for ages 15+ in 2022
- In 2023, 60 million children in conflict zones were out of school
- Sweden's adult participation in learning was 34% in 2022
- Ethiopia enrolled 28 million primary students in 2022
Education Interpretation
While the global education report card shows encouraging attendance in the upper grades, with many even making the honor roll, its stark and foundational math reveals a persistent and alarming failure to even get the whole class into the building.
Employment and Economy
- In 2022, global unemployment rate was 5.1% for individuals aged 15+
- In the US, median weekly earnings for full-time workers were $1,100 in 2023
- Globally, 205 million people were unemployed in 2022
- Women earned 77 cents for every dollar men earned in the US in 2023
- In OECD, average annual wages were $49,000 in 2022
- India's informal employment covered 80% of workforce in 2022
- Youth unemployment globally was 13% in 2023
- In the EU, 73% employment rate for ages 20-64 in 2023
- China's urban unemployment rate was 5.2% in 2023
- Gig economy workers numbered 1.57 billion globally in 2022
- In Brazil, minimum wage covered 54 million workers in 2023
- Global labor force participation rate was 61.2% in 2022
- In Japan, 53% of women participated in labor force in 2023
- US part-time workers for economic reasons: 4.1 million in 2023
- In South Africa, unemployment hit 32.9% in 2023
- Remote workers globally: 16% of workforce in 2023
- Germany's average gross salary was €50,800 in 2022
- In Nigeria, 40% of workforce was underemployed in 2022
- Global income inequality: top 10% hold 52% of income in 2022
- Australia's employment rate reached 64% in 2023
- In France, 35-hour workweek averaged 37 hours actually worked in 2022
- Mexico's informal sector employed 55% of workers in 2022
- In 2023, 3.3 billion people worked in informal economy
- UK median salary was £34,963 in 2023
- Indonesia's labor force was 142 million in 2023
- In Canada, average hourly wage rose to CAD 34.58 in 2023
- Spain's youth unemployment was 26.6% in 2023
- Worldwide, 600 million women entered labor market but faced barriers in 2023
Employment and Economy Interpretation
While the global workforce marches to a staggering array of different drummers—from the precarious rhythm of 1.57 billion gig workers to the disheartening beat of 77 cents on the dollar for women—the universal melody is one of profound disparity, where stability for some is a distant echo for many.
Health
- Worldwide, 73 million individuals were forcibly displaced as refugees or asylum-seekers in 2023
- In 2023, 783 million people aged 65+ faced elevated risks of cardiovascular diseases
- Diabetes affected 537 million adults (20-79 years) globally in 2021, projected to 783 million by 2045
- In 2022, 1.3 billion individuals worldwide lived with hypertension
- Cancer caused 10 million deaths in 2020, affecting individuals across all demographics
- In 2023, 2.3 billion people were overweight, including 890 million obese adults
- Tuberculosis infected 10.6 million people in 2022
- In 2021, 38 million people lived with HIV globally
- Depression affected 280 million people in 2019
- In the US, 14.5% of adults (38 million) reported serious mental illness in 2022
- Globally, 1.5 billion people use tobacco
- Alzheimer's disease affected 55 million people worldwide in 2023
- In 2022, 49 million people experienced dementia, projected to triple by 2050
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) killed 3.23 million in 2019
- In 2023, 422 million people had diabetes, causing 1.6 million deaths
- Air pollution caused 6.7 million premature deaths in 2019
- In Europe, 5.7 million people died from NCDs in 2019
- Malaria killed 619,000 people in 2021, mostly children under 5
- In 2022, 14.9 million new cancer cases were diagnosed in Europe
- Liver disease caused 2 million deaths globally in 2019
- In the US, 41,000 suicides occurred in 2022
- Osteoarthritis affects 528 million people worldwide
- In 2023, 1 in 6 people globally had a mental disorder
- Parkinson's disease affected 8.5 million people in 2019
- Road traffic injuries killed 1.19 million people in 2023
- In 2022, 2.8 million new HIV infections occurred globally
- Chronic kidney disease affected 500 million people in 2023
Health Interpretation
Our planet’s true pandemic is an overwhelming tide of human suffering, where fleeing conflict, battling chronic disease, and fighting for mental peace are tragically common chapters in too many lives.
Social Behavior
- In 2023, 58% of US adults owned smartphones
- Globally, 5.3 billion people used internet in 2023
- In the US, 72% of adults used social media daily in 2023
- Average person spent 2.5 hours daily on social media in 2023
- 85% of millennials owned smartphones in 2023
- In India, 462 million used social media in 2023
- Globally, 4.9 billion people were social media users in 2023
- US adults watched 3 hours of TV daily on average in 2023
- 67% of world population used social media in 2023
- In Brazil, 144 million social media users in 2023
- Average daily screen time was 7 hours in 2023
- 90% of US teens used YouTube in 2023
- Globally, online shopping users: 2.71 billion in 2023
- In China, 1.07 billion internet users in 2023
- 56% of global population owned smartphones in 2023
- US: 81% of adults used Facebook in 2023
- Average email checks per day: 15 for individuals in 2023
- In Indonesia, 167 million social media users in 2023
- 70% of people checked phone within 5 minutes of waking in 2023
- Global video streaming users: 1.3 billion in 2023
- In Nigeria, 36 million internet users in 2023
- 45% of US adults gamed online weekly in 2023
- Worldwide, podcast listeners: 464 million monthly in 2023
- In UK, 63 million internet users in 2023
- Average texts sent per day globally: 23 billion in 2023
- Mexico had 92 million social media users in 2023
- 78% of world checked social media before bed in 2023
- In Australia, 80% used social media daily in 2023
- Global dating app users: 366 million in 2023
Social Behavior Interpretation
While a healthy portion of humanity seems to be actively cultivating digital calluses, with global populations now reflexively reaching for their glowing rectangles to shop, stream, and swipe before they've even wiped the sleep from their eyes, the data suggests we are all, quite literally, on the same page.
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