The Graphic Truth: Where populations will rise, fall most

Chinese officials were surely not pleased this week, when a report showed that China's population has dipped below the 1.4 billion mark that it reached in 2019. While some countries, like China, are desperate to avoid stagnant or shrinking populations in order to boost their economies, other nations, such as the Philippines, are investing in family planning to ensure its booming population won't outpace economic growth. We take a look at the population growth rate in the 20 most populous countries over the past seven decades, and how they are projected to grow over the next thirty years.

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Iranian policemen monitor an area near a residential complex that is damaged in Israeli attacks in Tehran, Iran, on June 13, 2025.
Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto

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Kyodo via Reuters Connect

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