Since the mid-1900s, the global population has followed a steep upwards trajectory. While much of this growth has been concentrated in China and India, researchers expect the next wave of growth to occur in Africa. At the opposite end of this spectrum are a number of countries that appear to be shrinking from a population perspective. This somewhat surprising trend is as a result of low birth rates that are not enough to offset deaths and emigration, which refers to citizens leaving their country to live elsewhere.
Here are the top 20 fastest declining countries in the world.
| Rank | Country | Decline 2020-2050 |
| 1. | Bulgaria | 22.5% |
| 2. | Lithuania | 22.1% |
| 3. | Latvia | 21.6% |
| 4. | Ukraine | 19.5% |
| 5. | Serbia | 18.9% |
| 6. | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 18.2% |
| 7. | Croatia | 18.0% |
| 8. | Moldova | 16.7% |
| 9. | Japan | 16.3% |
| 10. | Albania | 15.8% |
| 11. | Romania | 15.5% |
| 12. | Greece | 13.4% |
| 13. | Estonia | 12.7% |
| 14. | Hungary | 12.3% |
| 15. | Poland | 12.0% |
| 16. | Georgia | 11.8% |
| 17. | Portugal | 10.9% |
| 18. | North Macedonia | 10.9% |
| 19. | Cuba | 10.3% |
| 20. | Italy | 10.1% |
