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.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 65 years of available data.
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 |
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.
- 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.