Fertility rates in the United States dropped to their lowest level in recorded history, with women having an average of 1.7 births in their lifetime. That’s one of the key findings in the Population Reference Bureau's 2019 World Population Data Sheet. They estimate that by 2050, India will surpass China as the world’s most populous country with an estimated 1.67 billion people, while more people will be living in Nigeria than the United States. Aging trends in many parts of the world held steady over previous years, with countries in Asia and Europe having some of the world’s oldest populations, and countries in Africa being home to some of the youngest.
This widely referenced World Population Data Sheet has been produced annually since 1962. With more than 50 countries, including the United States, scheduled to conduct a census in the coming year, this year’s Data Sheet focuses on censuses around the world—from the first known census by the Babylonian Empire to Malawi’s census taking using tablet technology.
More information here.