Globalist Quiz: Who gets bronze medal for population growth?

The Globalist

Of the 78 million people added annually to the world's population of 6.8 billion, India and China get the gold and silver medals for the largest yearly contributions. They now add 17.2 million and 7.7 million people, respectively — or 22 and 10 percent of the total yearly world increase. Which of the following countries would get the bronze medal for third place?

A. Brazil

B. Indonesia

C. Nigeria

D. Pakistan

Of the 78 million people added annually to the world's population of 6.8 billion, which country produces the third-largest contribution?

A. Brazil is not correct.

Brazil adds 2.4 million people annually, accounting for 3.1 percent of the world's annual population growth. In the 1950s, Brazil's population was growing at slightly above 3 percent per year. Today, the rate is about a third of that level, and fertility levels are near replacement.

B. Indonesia is not correct.

Indonesia adds 2.7 million people annually — or 3.5 percent of the global share. With a population of 234 million, Indonesia is the largest Muslim country in the world. By 2050, even with declining fertility levels, the country's population is projected to reach nearly 300 million. Similarly, Bangladesh adds slightly less than 2.7 million annually, or 3.4 percent of the world total.

C. Nigeria is correct.

Nigeria adds 3.4 million people annually, or 4.3 percent of the global total, placing it well behind India and China in annual growth. With a population of 151 million, Nigeria is the largest country in Africa and the eighth-largest in the world. The country continues to grow rapidly, with an average fertility rate of about five children per woman. Such rapid growth puts enormous pressure on natural resources and increases the prospect of ethnic and religious strife. The country's population is projected to nearly double by 2050, to 289 million.

D. Pakistan is not correct.

Closely behind Nigeria is Pakistan, which adds 3.1 million people annually, or 3.9 percent of the global total. Pakistan has grown rapidly, early quadrupling between 1950 and 2000, from 37 million to 144 million. Pakistan's population of 167 million is expected to grow to 292 million by 2050. Seven countries — India, China, Nigeria, Pakistan, Indonesia, Bangladesh and Brazil — account for half of the world's annual population growth.