I bumped into an article today that led to the PopulationPyramid.net and this chart showing population size by country. It’s very nice in its intuitive clarity not only for countries but also continents by color.
I wondered what it looked like over time and was pleased that the chart includes a way to move backward and forward in time. It would be interesting to see the chart moving and scaling dynamically over time, but as it is, one can only move manually in one- or five-year increments. So, for example, here is what the world looked like in 1950, 2000, and projected for 2050.
1950 
2000 
2050
I find it fascinating to note the dominance of Asian countries, the growth over time of Africa, and the diminishing relative share for the US and Europe.
I wondered if there is an equivalent display of wealth. I haven’t found an exact equivalent, but came across this video showing GDP (in terms of Purchasing Power Parity) over time from 1980 through 2023. What a long, strange trip it’s been, and will be.
I think it’s incredibly useful to have charts like this to understand the world not only in snapshots but also dynamically over time. One’s worldview is often stuck in an outdated or incomplete mental model. It’s great to be reminded of alternative perspectives and the fluid nature of what we perceive to be the way things are.
Along similar lines, a few months later I came across a good chart showing the world’s GDP distribution in 2018, from August 2019. Now if they would let me see it over time like the population chart, and maybe be in the same format (though the football/globe is an interesting metaphor).
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