The bar chart depicts the number of middle-income families, measured in millions, around the world and across six differents continents in 1950 and 2007, with projections for 2030.
The main facts that stand out is that North America had the highest number of middle-income families throughout the period. Standing in contrast, Africa consistently recorded the lowest figures.
Looking first at the world total, the number of middle-income families rose steadily from 29 million in 1950 to 49 million in 2007, and it is expected to reach 60 million by 2030. A similar upward trend can be seen in Africa, where the figures increased from 15 to 37 million, with projections of 51 million in 2030. In Asia, the number more than doubled over the period, climbing from 17 million in 1950 to 41 million in 2007, and is anticipated to hit 54 million by 2030.
Turning to the regions with higher figures, Europe experienced consistent growth, rising from 51 million middle-income families in 1950 to 72 million in 2007, and is projected to reach 78 million by 2030. Latin America also showed a sharp increase, jumping from 42 to 76 million and expected to reach 84 million in the final year. Meanwhile, North America recorded the highest figures overall, starting at 64 million in 1950, growing to 79 million in 2007, and forecast to reach 87 million by 2030. These data highlight that wealthier regions have consistently maintained larger middle-income populations than developing ones.