Chart 3.2. Composition of Population in Low- and High-income Economies, 2025 
In many low-income countries, the large difference between the percentage of people of
childbearing age and more elderly adults causes population momentum which keeps population
growth rates high even when fertility rates drop. In many high-income countries, where
fertility rates are below replacement level and the largest segments of the population are
older, populations will increase much less. To see the composition of population for low-
and high-income economies in 1995, look at Chart 3.1. |