The top 10 most powerful nations, according to the 2019 Best Countries report, are:
1- United States
Unlike China and India, the United States population is expected to grow throughout the century with no foreseeable decline. By 2067, the U.S. population is expected to surpass 400 million people.
The population growth in the United States is mainly attributed to high rates of immigration, which have decreased since 2016, and the natural increase (the difference between births and deaths).
The United States population grows on average about 0.9% every year. The population grew 0.60% in 2019, the lowest rate the U.S. has had in a century. This is because of a decrease in the number of total births over the year. Additionally, more post-World War II baby boomers are reaching old age, increasing the number of deaths.
Despite a decrease in the population growth rate in recent years, the population is still expected to grow continuously.
United States Population Growth
Formal censuses were not carried out during the colonial era, but records show that the colonial population grew from a shaky start of just 3,800 in 1610 to over 1 million in 1750. The population increased moving forward, and when the first official census was held in 1790, shortly after independence, the population had grown to nearly 4 million.
The United States census is held once every ten years to count the number of people in the country and gather basic information, including age, sex, and race. The last census was held in 2010, and the next census will be held in 2020.
The information collected in the census is used for many purposes. The first purpose is to ensure that each seat in Congress represents roughly the same amount of people. National and State governments also use the information to plan services - for example, if they know that the population in an area is increasing, they can build more housing, schools, and hospitals. Every year, the Census Bureau also releases annual population estimates. Statistical modeling methods are applied to the most recent census data to give an up-to-date picture of how the population of America changes between censuses.
The United States Population Projections
The population of the U.S. continues to grow today, driven by a high level of immigration. The latest data from the Census Bureau shows that U.S. population growth is running at between 0.7% and 0.9% per year. A 2015 Census Bureau Report suggests that growth will slow somewhat and projects a 2060 population of 417 million, with the country crossing the 400 million thresholds in 2051.
The United Nations projects a lower total, estimating a population of just over 400 million in 2060.
2- Russia
Between 1993 and 2008, Russia's population saw a considerable decline from 148.37 million to 143.25. During this time, Russia experienced low birth rates and abnormally high death rates. Since then, the population has increased again to 145.93 million; however, the population is expected to reach its peak at the end of 2020 and is projected to start declining again.
Russia has one of the lowest fertility rates globally, of 1.58 births per woman, below the replacement rate of 2.1 births per woman. Russia also has one of the oldest populations globally, with an average age of 40.3 years. Further contributing to Russia's population decline is a low level of immigration.
While projections into the future of Russia are complicated, it's estimated that Russia will fall from the 9th most populous country to the 17th by 2050. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has announced that he plans to boost Russia's dwindling population by encouraging immigration and higher birth rates. Still, estimates show that Russia's population will drop from 2014's 142 million to only 128 million by 2050.
Russia Population Growth
The Russian economy grew strongly during the first decade of the 20th century, and in 2009 the Russian population saw a small but significant increase. The increase was reported as between 15,000 and 25,000 people and was attributed to a falling death rate and increasing migration.
There are also indications that birth rates may be increasing slightly – probably due to a combination of increased confidence in Russia's economic prospects and government incentives to new mothers -- especially a $10,000 payment which is made to mothers who have three or more children.
Population growth and demographics have long been a problem for Russia. A decade ago, the nation lost 1 million people a year, and many doubt Vladimir Putin's plans will work. Time will tell if Russia can overcome its issues and see more significant growth. Otherwise, it will be prone to collapsing infrastructure with its massive land area and untapped natural resources.
Russia Population Projections
The rate of change of the Russian population is very close to 0% at present, and the population isn't expected to change much by 2020. Further in the future, the number of people will likely decline slowly, getting down to 140 million by 2030 and 136 million by 2040.
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