Population growth in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD): Population growth was 1.6% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Population growth in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD), 1961–2025
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), note: Derived from total population, publisher: UN Population Division. Measured in annual %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for population growth in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) is 1.6%, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 65 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.8% on the previous year and down 4.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population growth in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) peaked at 3.2% in 1984 and was at its lowest, 1.6%, in 2025.
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) ranks 16th of 47 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 65 years of available data.
Population growth in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD), year by year
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 2.5% | — |
| 1962 | 2.6% | +1.0% |
| 1963 | 2.6% | +1.8% |
| 1964 | 2.6% | +1.0% |
| 1965 | 2.7% | +0.6% |
| 1966 | 2.7% | +1.8% |
| 1967 | 2.8% | +2.1% |
| 1968 | 2.8% | +0.5% |
| 1969 | 2.8% | +0.3% |
| 1970 | 2.8% | -0.2% |
| 1971 | 2.7% | -2.3% |
| 1972 | 2.7% | -0.4% |
| 1973 | 2.8% | +2.1% |
| 1974 | 2.8% | +1.0% |
| 1975 | 2.9% | +3.9% |
| 1976 | 3.0% | +2.4% |
| 1977 | 3.0% | -0.5% |
| 1978 | 3.0% | +0.6% |
| 1979 | 3.0% | +0.9% |
| 1980 | 3.1% | +2.0% |
| 1981 | 3.1% | +1.4% |
| 1982 | 3.1% | -0.5% |
| 1983 | 3.1% | +0.6% |
| 1984 | 3.2% | +1.8% |
| 1985 | 3.1% | -1.0% |
| 1986 | 3.1% | -1.4% |
| 1987 | 3.0% | -1.5% |
| 1988 | 3.0% | -2.3% |
| 1989 | 2.9% | -1.0% |
| 1990 | 2.9% | -1.8% |
| 1991 | 2.8% | -3.0% |
| 1992 | 2.7% | -1.9% |
| 1993 | 2.7% | -2.8% |
| 1994 | 2.5% | -5.2% |
| 1995 | 2.4% | -3.8% |
| 1996 | 2.4% | -2.9% |
| 1997 | 2.3% | -1.9% |
| 1998 | 2.3% | -0.1% |
| 1999 | 2.3% | -0.6% |
| 2000 | 2.2% | -3.5% |
| 2001 | 2.2% | -1.7% |
| 2002 | 2.2% | -1.5% |
| 2003 | 2.2% | +2.0% |
| 2004 | 2.3% | +3.1% |
| 2005 | 2.3% | +0.3% |
| 2006 | 2.3% | +0.2% |
| 2007 | 2.2% | -4.2% |
| 2008 | 2.2% | -0.8% |
| 2009 | 2.2% | +2.1% |
| 2010 | 2.2% | -2.1% |
| 2011 | 2.1% | -3.0% |
| 2012 | 2.0% | -4.7% |
| 2013 | 1.9% | -4.7% |
| 2014 | 1.8% | -3.3% |
| 2015 | 1.7% | -7.2% |
| 2016 | 1.6% | -4.5% |
| 2017 | 1.7% | +2.7% |
| 2018 | 1.8% | +4.9% |
| 2019 | 1.8% | +1.3% |
| 2020 | 1.7% | -1.8% |
| 2021 | 1.7% | -2.7% |
| 2022 | 1.7% | -0.7% |
| 2023 | 1.7% | +2.6% |
| 2024 | 1.7% | -1.4% |
| 2025 | 1.6% | -4.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2.7% | 2.5% | 2.8% | 9 |
| 1970s | 2.9% | 2.7% | 3.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.1% | 2.9% | 3.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.5% | 2.3% | 2.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.2% | 2.2% | 2.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.9% | 1.6% | 2.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.7% | 1.6% | 1.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)
- 13 Ukraine 2.9% compare
- 14 Mali 2.9% compare
- 15 Yemen 2.9% compare
- 16 Tanzania, United Republic of 2.9% compare
- 17 Mozambique 2.8% compare
- 18 Mauritania 2.8% compare
- 19 Zambia 2.8% compare
More climate change data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)
- Population, total 748.49 million (2025)
- Urban population growth 2.0% (2025)
- Urban population 393.80 million (2025)
- Urban population 52.6% (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 20.1% (2025)
- Annual freshwater withdrawals, total 463.21 billion cubic meters (2022)
- Annual freshwater withdrawals, total 141.7% (2022)
- Terrestrial protected areas 6.0% (2025)
- Terrestrial and marine protected areas 5.1% (2025)
- Marine protected areas 1.1% (2025)
All data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) →
Frequently asked questions
- What is population growth in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)?
- Population growth in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) was 1.6% in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), note: Derived from total population, publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest population growth recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)?
- The highest recorded value was 3.2% in 1984.
- What is the lowest population growth recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.6% in 2025.
- How does Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) rank for population growth?
- Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) ranks 16th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is population growth rising or falling in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) data come from?
- The figures come from World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), note: Derived from total population, publisher: UN Population Division, published as part of Population growth (annual %). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 65 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Annual population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.