Band 9: The bar chart shows the percentage of the total world population in 4 countries in 1950 and 2003, and projections for 2050. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant.

The chart illustrates the proportion of the world’s population accounted for by India, China, the USA, and Japan in 1950 and 2002, with a forecast for 2050.

Overall, the most populous country was China in both 1950 and 2002, while Japan had the smallest population. All countries, except India, experienced a downward trend. Although the number of individuals in India was smaller than that of China, it increased gradually and is projected to surpass China by 2050.

As can be seen from the graph, the four countries followed different demographic trends over the given period. India’s share of the world’s population rose gradually from 15% in 1950 to almost 17% in 2002. By 2050, a further 2% increase is expected to make India the most populous country.

In contrast, China’s share declined from about 22% in 1950 to 20% in 2002, while Japan’s figure fell from just under 5% to around 3%. The USA also experienced a slight decrease, from just over 5% to exactly 5%. These downward trends are projected to continue for both China and Japan by 2050, while the USA is estimated to remain relatively stable at around 5% by 2050.