Global population growth has slowed dramatically compared to the mid-20th century, but it hasn’t stopped — it has simply concentrated. Today, the fastest growing populations by country are overwhelmingly found in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Countries with the Fastest Population Growth
- Niger — consistently among the fastest-growing populations in the world, with one of the highest fertility rates anywhere
- Democratic Republic of the Congo — rapid growth combined with a very young population
- Angola — high fertility rates and improving child survival driving fast growth
- Uganda — one of the youngest population profiles in the world
- Somalia and Chad — both regularly rank among the fastest-growing nations
- Nigeria — already the world’s sixth most populous country, and still growing fast enough to eventually challenge for a top-three spot
See live growth-adjacent figures like current population totals on our Rankings page.
What Drives Fast Population Growth?
Rapid population growth is typically the product of high fertility rates combined with falling infant mortality — more children are born, and more of them survive to adulthood and have children of their own. Economic factors, limited access to family planning, and cultural preferences for larger families all play a role, particularly across much of West and Central Africa.
The Flip Side: Countries Losing Population
While these nations grow rapidly, a very different group of countries — mostly in East Asia and Eastern Europe — are seeing populations shrink. See our companion piece on the countries with declining populations for the full contrast.
Frequently Asked Questions
What country has the fastest growing population in the world?
Niger consistently ranks as one of the fastest-growing populations in the world by percentage growth rate.
Will Africa’s population keep growing this fast?
Demographers project growth rates across Sub-Saharan Africa will gradually slow over the coming decades as fertility rates decline, though the region will still account for most of the world’s remaining population growth this century.
Is fast population growth good for an economy?
It can be, if paired with investment in education, healthcare, and job creation — this is often called a “demographic dividend.” Without that investment, fast growth can strain public services and infrastructure.
Compare population figures for any of these countries using our free Compare tool.
[…] Countries at the bottom of this ranking typically share several overlapping challenges: limited infrastructure, restricted access to global trade routes (many are also landlocked), a history of political instability or conflict, heavy reliance on subsistence agriculture rather than higher-value industries, and rapid population growth that can outpace economic development, discussed further in our piece on the fastest growing populations by country. […]