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The Harvest Fields
Statistics - 2009 edition
Compiled by Stephen Ross

 Bible and globe

Therefore said He unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He would send forth labourers into His harvest.  Luke 10:2

Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.  John 4:35

Now then we are ambassadors for Christ.  2 Corinthians 5:20a

Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.  Mark 16:15b

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  John 3:16

And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.  1 John 4:14

Population Statistics
World Population Estimate

6,795,493,430

As of Nov 07, 2009. For most up-to-date estimate, see U.S. Census Bureau, International Programs Center.

"To give a point of reference for the magnitude of one billion, it would require forty thousand trips around the world to equal one billion miles."4


World's Population by Continents2

60% of the world's population lives in the continent of Asia.

Asia 4,053,868,153
Africa 972,752,366
Europe 729,553,228
North America 527,831,687
South America 388,619,456
Oceania (incl. Australia)   34,368,042
Antarctica no indigenous inhabitants

 World Birth/Death Rates (2009 est.)1

Birth Rate:   Death Rate:
20 births/1,000 population   8 deaths/1,000 population
128.9 million births per year   53.4 million people die each year
353,015 births per day   146,357 people die each day
14,709 births each hour   6098 people die each hour
245 births each minute   102 people die each minute
4 births each second of every day   almost 2 people die each second

 
Average Life Expectancy at Birth is 67 years1

Age Structure of World's Population1

1.8 billion people under age 15 years (27%)
4.4 billion people age 15-64 years (65%)
518 million people are 65 years and over (8%)

[Index]

Country Statistics
Ten Largest Countries in Population

There are approximately 226 inhabited countries and territories in the world. China is the most populous nation with 1/5 of the world's people. About half the world's people live in the first six largest countries listed below. Data as of 10/2009.

China 1,338,612,968
India 1,156,897,766
United States      307,212,123
Indonesia 240,271,522
Brazil 198,739,269
Pakistan 174,578,558
Bangladesh 156,050,883
Nigeria 149,229,090
Russia 140,041,247
Japan 127,078,679
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, International Data Base

The 20 Largest Urban Areas in the World3

Urban Center Population*
1. Tokyo-Yokohama, Japan 34,670,000
2. Jakarta, Indonesia 23,345,000
3. New York City, U.S. 21,295,000
4. Mumbai (Bombay), India 20,400,000
5. Manila, Philippines 20,075,000
6. Delhi, India 19,830,000
7. Seoul-Incheon, South Korea 19,660,000
8. São Paulo, Brazil 19,505,000
9. Mexico City, Mexico 18,585,000
10. Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto, Japan 17,310,000
11. Cairo, Egypt 17,035,000
12. Kolkata (Calcutta), India 15,250,000
13. Los Angeles, U.S. 14,940,000
14. Shanghai, China 14,655,000
15. Shenzhen, China 14,230,000
16. Moscow, Russia 13,670,000
17. Buenos Aires, Argentina 12,925,000
18. Beijing (Peking), China 12,780,000
19. Guangzhou (Canton)-Foshan, China 11,850,000
20. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 11,400,000
*2009 estimates by Demographia.com which defines an urban area (urbanized area agglomeration or urban centre) as a continuously built up landmass of urban development containing a high population density, without regard for administrative boundaries (i.e. municipality, city or commune) or a labor market (i.e. metropolitan area). Population figures for the world's largest cities differ from one source to another because of the different concepts used (i.e. urban areas, urban agglomerations, metropolitan areas, etc.)

[Index]

Countries With 45% or More of the Population
0-14 Years of Age1

Country Population  
0-14 Years
of Age (%)		 Population
15-64 Years
of Age (%)
Benin 45 52
Burkina Faso 46 51
Burundi 46 51
Chad 47 50
Congo, Democratic Republic of the 47 51
Congo, Republic of the 46 51
Ethiopia 46 51
Malawi 46 52
Mali 48 49
Mayotte 45 53
Niger 50 48
Sao Tome and Principe 47 50
Sierra Leone 45 52
Somalia 45 53
Uganda 50 48
Yemen 46 51
Zambia 45 53

[Index]

Countries With Lowest Life Expectancy
(under 50 yrs.)1

Average life expectancy at birth of the world's population is 67 years.

Country Life Expectancy (yrs.)
Afghanistan 44.6
Angola 38.2
Central African Republic    44.5
Chad 47.7
Djibouti 43.4
Guinea-Bissau 47.9
Lesotho 40.4
Liberia 41.8
Malawi 43.8
Mozambique 41.2
Nigeria 46.9
Sierra Leone 41.2
Somalia 49.6
South Africa 48.9
Swaziland 31.9
Zambia 38.6
Zimbabwe 45.8


Major Muslim Countries of the World
(% of population)1

Country Muslim (%)
Afghanistan 99
Albania 70
Algeria 99
Azerbaijan 93
Bahrain 81
Bangladesh 83
Brunei 67
Burkina Faso 50
Chad 53
Comoros 98
Djibouti 94
Egypt 90
Gambia, The 90
Gaza Strip 99
Guinea 85
Indonesia 86
Iran 98
Iraq 97
Jordan 92
Kuwait 85
Kyrgyzstan 75
Lebanon 60
Libya 97
Malaysia 60
Maldives Sunni Muslim 
Mali 90
Mauritania 100
Mayotte 97
Morocco 99
Niger 80
Nigeria 50
Oman 75
Pakistan 95
Qatar 78
Saudi Arabia 100
Senegal 94
Sierra Leone 60
Somalia Sunni Muslim
Sudan 70
Syria 74
Tajikistan 80
Tunisia 98
Turkey 99.8
Turkmenistan 89
United Arab Emirates         96
Uzbekistan 88
West Bank 75
Yemen Muslim

[Index]

Major Roman Catholic Countries of the World
(% of population)1

Country Roman Catholic (%)
Argentina 92% (less than 20% practicing)
Austria 74
Belgium 75
Belize 50
Bolivia 95
Brazil 74 (nominal)
Burundi 62
Chile 70
Colombia 90
Congo, Democratic Republic of the   50
Costa Rica 76
Croatia 88
Cuba 85 (nominal)
Dominican Republic   95
Ecuador 95
El Salvador 57
France 83-88
Grenada 53
Guam 85
Haiti 80
Honduras 97
Hungary 52
Ireland 87
Italy 90 (1/3 practicing)
Lithuania 79
Luxembourg 87
Malta 98
Mexico 77
Nicaragua 58.5
Panama 85
Paraguay 90
Peru 81
Philippines 81
Poland 90 (about 75% practicing)
Portugal 85
Puerto Rico 85
Rwanda 57
Slovakia 69
Slovenia 58
Sao Tome and Principe 70
Spain 94
Timor-Leste 98
Venezuela 96 (nominal)


Major Religions of the World (mid-2007)2

Christian 2,199,817,400
   Roman Catholics 1,121,516,000
   Independents* 433,096,000
   Protestants 381,811,000
   Orthodox 233,146,000
   Anglicans 82,586,000
Muslims 1,387,454,500
Hindus 875,726,000
Chinese universists      385,621,500
Buddhists 385,609,000
Sikhs 22,927,500
Jews 14,956,000
*This term denotes members of Christian churches and networks that regard themselves as postdenominationalist and neo-apostolic and thus independent of historic, mainstream, organized, institutionalized, confessional, denominationalist Christianity.

Languages of the World

There are 6,912 known living languages in the world today. 347 (or approximately 5%) of the world's languages have at least one million speakers and account for 94% of the world's population. By contrast, the remaining 95% of languages are spoken by only 6% of the world's people. Languages spoken by the most people ("first language" speakers) are Chinese, Spanish, English, Arabic, Hindi, Bengali, Portuguese, Russian, Japanese, German.
Sources: The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2009 and Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 16th ed. www.ethnologue.com/web.asp

References

1. The World Factbook (CIA).
2. The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2009, ©2009.
3. Demographia World Urban Areas and Population Projection. 5th Comprehensive edition. April 2009 revision. www.demographia.com
4. Biblical Missions: History, Principles, Practice by Roy F. Dearmore. Garland, Tex.: Rodgers Baptist Church, ©1997.
Other resources as cited.
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