The Twenty Largest Nations and their Populations (by millions): 1950 – 2100

Rank	1950	Population	Rank	2000	Population

1	China	554.8	1	China	1 275.2
2	India	357.6	2	India	1 016.9
3	U.S.A.	157.8	3	U.S.A.	285
4	Russian Federation	102.7	4	Indonesia	211.6
5	Japan	83.6	5	Brazil	171.8
6	Indonesia	79.5	6	Russian Federation	145.6
7	Germany	68.4	7	Pakistan	142.7
8	Brazil	54	8	Bangladesh	138
9	United Kingdom	49.8	9	Japan	127
10	Italy	47.1	10	Nigeria	114.7
11	France	41.8	11	Mexico	98.9
12	Bangladesh	41.8	12	Germany	82.3
13	Pakistan	39.7	13	Viet Nam	78.1
14	Ukraine	37.3	14	Philippines	75.7
15	Nigeria	29.8	15	Turkey	68.3
16	Spain	28	16	Egypt	67.8
17	Mexico	27.7	17	Iran	66.4
18	Viet Nam	27.4	18	Ethiopia	65.6
19	Poland	24.8	19	Thailand	60.9
20	Egypt	21.8	20	France	59.3

Rank	2050	Population	Rank	2100	Population

1	India	1 531.4	1	India	1 458.4
2	China	1 395.2	2	China	1 181.5
3	U.S.A.	408.7	3	U.S.A.	437.2
4	Pakistan	348.7	4	Pakistan	408.5
5	Indonesia	293.8	5	Nigeria	302.5
6	Nigeria	258.5	6	Indonesia	272.8
7	Bangladesh	254.6	7	Bangladesh	259.9
8	Brazil	233.1	8	Ethiopia	222.2
9	Ethiopia	171	9	Brazil	212.4
10	Congo, DR	151.6	10	Congo, DR	203.3
11	Mexico	140.2	11	Uganda	167.1
12	Egypt	127.4	12	Yemen	144.2
13	Philippines	127	13	Egypt	131.8
14	Viet Nam	117.7	14	Philippines	128.8
15	Japan	109.7	15	Mexico	128.1
16	Iran	105.5	16	Viet Nam	110.2
17	Uganda	103.2	17	Niger	98.6
18	Russian Federation	101.5	18	Iran	98.2
19	Turkey	97.8	19	Turkey	90.3
20	Yemen	84.4	20	Afghanistan	90.3

Source: United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs/Population Division, World Population to 2300, 2002

It truly hasn’t been long since the days of Manifest Destiny in the mid-19th century led to an expansion project that violently spread from some 26 states in North America to the west coast’s former Mexican territories. But for a child born in the United States today, before they turn 30 years old, the world and their country will look much different than it did for their parents at that age, and entirely other-worldly from the time of their grandparents or great grandparents.

Consider that in 1950, just after the end of World War II, seven European nations occupied a place among the top 20 most populated states. By 2000, only three would remain in the top 20; by 205o, only the Russian Federation will remain on the list (and will be out of the list by 2100). The rest of the list will be occupied by Asian, African, and a handful of American nations, including the U.S., Brazil, and Mexico. But consider as well that by 2050 the U.S. will be a “majority-minority” nation (the first of its kind), where although whites will likely remain the largest single group (47%), there will be more Black, Native, Latinx, Asian and other citizens (53%) in the country altogether.

It’s also fascinating that by 2100, the people and culture of nations such as Pakistan and Afghanistan, which have occupied the mind of many U.S. citizens as war-torn nations, will nonetheless continue expanding to outsize most other nations across the world. Just as well, it’s mind-boggling that the Philippines, which maintains a total area of some 115,800 square miles, is projected to count more people in its boundaries than Mexico, which holds a total area of some 761,600 square miles by 2100. Similarly, Yemen, which is one of the poorest nations in the Middle East–and which since 2015 has been locked in a war with Saudi Arabia, or one of the richest countries in the region–will also climb the ranks over the next 30 years to make the top 20 list; and Yemen will be 13th on the list by the end of the century.

The world is thus on track, or “destined,” to become only more diverse as the 21st century unfolds, making the development of peace and understanding between diversities more important with each day. In the spirit of friendly competition, however, the Californians–or Californianxs–in the vicinity need not to worry: The Golden State will remain the largest in the U.S. by 2050, when 48% of the state’s population is projected to be Latinx compared to the group’s current rate of 39%.