Overall, our planet is overpopulated, and has been for a while now. Although several underdeveloped countries are overpopulated, this is not an issue that affects them exclusively. Developed countries are also extremely populated, especially the countries that are the desired destinations of most tourists, such as the United States of America.
There are many factors that lead a country to being overpopulated. In underdeveloped countries, the lower level of education of the population, as well as poverty, prevent people from becoming aware of or being able to afford contraception methods.
The effects of overpopulation can be quite damaging. Its effects range from higher unemployment rates and higher crime rates to more poverty and more pollution. In this article, we’re going to take a look at the 8 most populated countries in the world!
List of Most Populated Countries in the World
1. China
As of 2020, there are over 7 billion people in the world. Out of this number, over a billion people live in this country, making China the most populated country on the planet.
For almost 30 years, from 1949 to the late 1970s, China’s population rose more than the population of any other country in the world, which was caused by the fact that, at the time, the government remunerated families according to the number of workers.
In other words, during this period a bigger family meant a bigger income.
This remuneration policy led the country to having almost a billion people by 1979, and it was in this same year that the Chinese government created its infamous one-child policy. The one-child policy was a birth control measure that allowed couples to have only one child, but it didn’t have a significant impact on the country’s growing population and was extinguished in 2015.
However, China has a very large territory that accommodates its population quite well. The estimated population density in China is 145 people per square kilometer, which puts it in the 81st position in the ranking of population density of the world.
Population density is the number of human beings who live in a unit of area; in this case, kilometers.
2. India
Besides China, the only other country in the world with a population of over a billion people is India. In fact, their population number is so close that specialists believe that India will surpass China and claim the spot as the country with the most population in the world in a few years.
There are quite a few factors for this country’s fast-growing population. Marriage is one of these factors. Marital union in India is highly encouraged and praised, which means that most of the population is married. Once people are married, they immediately start their families, thus increasing the population constantly.
On top of that, surveys have revealed that although over 90% of the female population in India knows about contraceptive use, only half of this same population actually uses them. The population density in India is approximately 464 people per square kilometers, a number that is almost three times higher than China’s.
3. United States of America
Although this country is not overpopulated, it certainly is one of the most populated nations on the planet with a population of over 300 million people, which is a contrast in relation to other developed countries, where the population has a large tendency to decline in the next years.
The difference between the United States and other developed countries is that this is the land of the American Dream, a well-established belief that everyone can become successful if they work hard enough. Because of that, the United States is the number 1 destination for immigrants who are pursuing a better life.
Still, the population density in this country is the lowest on our list so far: only 36 people per square kilometer!
4. Indonesia
Another Asian country that has made it into our list is Indonesia, with its population of over 260 million people.
According to Indonesian sources, there is a famous saying in this country that means “more children, more fortune”. Because of poverty, families need to work hard in order to ensure their income and having more children means that there’ll be more people in the family to work.
The population density in Indonesia is almost the same as China’s, at approximately 140 people per square kilometer.
5. Brazil
The first and only South American country to make it into our list of the most populated nations in the world is Brazil. This picturesque country that is known for its beautiful tropical landscape and also for its culture, is the largest country in South America, as well as the most populated.
Brazil is composed of 26 states plus the DC, and some of these states are bigger than most European countries! Because of its size, Brazil is a highly populated country, with over 200 million people. Although most of the population is composed of Brazilian people, there are also lots of immigrants in Brazil, especially Asian immigrants and immigrants from other Latin American countries.
However, because of Brazil’s total area of over 8,5 million square kilometers, this country’s population is easily spread across the territory, and the population density is only 24 people per square kilometer!
6. Nigeria
With a population of over 190 million people, this country is the most populated country in the African continent, as well as one of the most populated countries in the world.
There are a few reasons as to why Nigeria is so populated in comparison to other African countries. Its geography, for instance, is one of the reasons; Nigeria’s soil is more fertile than other regions’, thus making it an appropriate land for agriculture. On top of that, Nigeria also contains a lot of water, which is a rare resource, thus it has attracted many people from other countries over the years.
With a total area of less than a million square kilometers, the population density in Nigeria is approximately 212 individuals per square kilometer.
7. Bangladesh
With a population of over 160 million people, Bangladesh is one of the countries with the highest population in the world.
This South Asian country is marked for being located in a privileged area where there are no deserts, which is why many people migrated to this land over the years. Bangladesh has an overall environment that makes it appropriate for most humans.
The population density in this country is one of the highest in the world, at over 1,200 people per square kilometer.
8. Russia
The largest country in the world certainly had to be mentioned in a list of most populated countries. With a total area of over 17 million square kilometers, Russia is pretty large, but it isn’t heavily populated.
There are less than 150 million living in this extremely large territory, and there are a couple of reasons for that. First, there are parts of Russia that are uninhabitable because of its harsh, freezing climate. Additionally, families usually have 1 or 2 children only, and the immigration rates are pretty low.
The population density in this huge country is only approximately 9 people per square kilometers, one of the lowest in the world.
CONCLUSION
Many countries in the world are heavily populated, and some of these countries don’t have the infrastructure necessary to handle large masses of people in its territory. Although there are well-developed countries with large populations, overpopulation affects underdeveloped countries more often.
High population in a country is the result of several factors, which include poverty, lower education levels, as well as a lack of knowledge concerning contraception methods and religious motives.
I hope that this article on countries with a high population was helpful. If you are interested, visit the Country Rankings Page!
