Population Growth Calculator (by Percentage)

Population growth refers to the increase (or decrease) in the number of individuals in a population over time. It is usually expressed as a percentage increase per year, known as the annual growth rate.

Why Use a Population Growth Calculator?

• To project future population trends for a city, country, or region
• To plan infrastructure, schools, housing, and healthcare
• To estimate market size for business and economic forecasting
• To model population dynamics in research or academia

Understanding Exponential Growth

Population growth is typically modeled using compound (exponential) growth, meaning each year the increase is applied to the new total — not just the original population. This leads to faster growth over time.

For example, 2% annual growth on 10,000 people:
Year 1 → 10,200
Year 2 → 10,404
Year 3 → 10,612.08
... and so on.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a normal population growth rate?

Global population growth is currently around 1.0–1.2% annually. Rapidly growing countries may have rates over 2%, while developed nations may be under 0.5%.

What happens if the growth rate is negative?

This means the population is shrinking. Enter a negative growth rate (e.g. -0.5%) to calculate projected decline.

How accurate is this calculation?

This calculator assumes a constant annual rate. Real-world populations may be affected by birth/death rates, migration, policies, or sudden events.

Examples

Example 1:

Initial: 10,000 | Growth Rate: 2% | Years: 5

10,000 × (1 + 0.02)5 = 11,040.81

Example 2:

Initial: 50,000 | Growth Rate: 1.5% | Years: 10

50,000 × (1.015)10 ≈ 58,021.59