The global population continues to grow, surpassing 8 billion in November 2022, though this growth has been uneven across different regions. Some countries are experiencing rapid population increases, while others face significant declines. Tomas Sobotka, a senior researcher at the Wittgenstein Center for Demography and Global Human Capital and deputy director of the Vienna Institute of Demography, explained to  Newsweek that most countries with high population growth rates share a combination of a young population structure—meaning many women are in their reproductive years—and high fertility rates, or a high number of children per woman.

"Although fertility rates have been declining everywhere, countries with a young population structure will continue to experience high population growth for many decades to come," Sobotka noted.

A country’s overall growth rate is determined by its birthrate compared to deaths, along with net immigration, and can be either positive or negative. The United States government’s World Factbook, published by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), provides up-to-date figures on population growth rates for 236 countries and territories worldwide. According to the CIA’s rankings, the top 10 countries with the highest population growth rates are:

1. South Sudan—4.65%
2. Niger—3.66%
3. Angola—3.33%
4. Benin—3.29%
5. Equatorial Guinea—3.23%
6. Uganda—3.18%
7. Democratic Republic of the Congo—3.11%
8. Chad—3.01%
9. Mali—2.9%
10. Zambia—2.83%

In contrast, the United States ranks 131st, with a population growth rate of 0.67%.