Chart of the week: 25 fastest growing countries, 2015-2050

The 21st Century may well be Africa’s Century – not Asia’s

What the chart shows: The chart shows the 25 countries with the fastest forecast population growth over the next 25 years. Only one – number 25 in the list – is not African.

Why is the chart interesting: Demographics are not an absolute science, but the trends are broadly easy to forecast. With numerous exceptions, population growth should lead to economic growth and that in turn to a rise in political importance. Economic growth is also over the medium and long term a pre-requisite for return on investments. We are frequently told that the 20th Century was the American Century and the 21st will the Asian. But from a demographic perspective, Asian countries are almost in the same bad state as European. The fastest population growth over the next generation will be in Africa. This is also where we are already seeing some of the fastest economic growth. Whether Africa’s governments and peoples will build on this is impossible to say – but the conditions for growth are there. The 21st Century may be Africa’s.

Chart and comments provided by Stein Brothers (UK), www.steinbrothers.co.uk.