Indonesia Will Be the World's Fifth most Populous Country by 2050
The Institute of Demographic Studies released a report which claims that by the year 2050, the world population will increase to 9.7 billion from the current number of 7.1 billion. India is expected to become the most populous country, surpassing China. At the end of this century the number of people on earth will amount to around 10 or 11 billion. A report of the United Nations, released in June, suggests that by 2050 the total number of people that is 60 years of age or older will amount to two billion (from 841 million currently).
Currently, Indonesia is the world's fourth most populous country (after China, India and the USA). However, as birth rates are very high on the African continent (4.8 children per woman, whereas the global average is 2.5 children per woman), Nigeria is expected to surpass Indonesia by 2050 in terms of population size. In 2013, Indonesia's population numbered 249 million people in total, but this number is expected to jump to 366 million by 2050.
Most Populous Countries in 2013
| Country | Population Size¹ |
| 1. China | 1,361 |
| 2. India | 1,277 |
| 3. USA | 316 |
| 4. Indonesia | 249 |
| 5. Brasil | 196 |
| 6. Pakistan | 191 |
| 7. Nigeria | 175 |
| 8. Bangladesh | 157 |
| 9. Russia | 144 |
| 10. Japan | 127 |
¹ in million
Most Populous Countries in 2050
| Country | Population Size¹ |
| 1. India | 1,652 |
| 2. China | 1,314 |
| 3. Nigeria | 444 |
| 4. USA | 400 |
| 5. Indonesia | 366 |
| 6. Pakistan | 363 |
| 7. Brasil | 227 |
| 8. Bangladesh | 202 |
| 9. Kongo | 182 |
| 10. Etiopia | 178 |
¹ in million
Source: Institute of Demographic Studies