The world since my birth
How the world, or your country, has changed since the year you were born: people, ages, cities, the internet, electricity and literacy.
Since 1990, the world population has grown from 5.33 billion to 8.3 billion.
Each value with the year it refers to. Projections are marked.
- Median age22.9 → 31.1
- Life expectancy at birth64.0 → 73.8
- Total fertility rate3.31 → 2.23
- Human Development Index0.608 → 0.756
- Living in cities1990 → 202534.8% → 44.8%
- Adult literacy (ages 15 and over)1990 → 202474.6% → 87.7%
- 1990
- Latest
See the numbers
| Indicator | Around 1990 | Latest |
|---|---|---|
| Population on 1 July | 5.33 billion (1990) | 8.3 billion (2026, projected) |
| Median age | 22.9 (1990) | 31.1 (2026, projected) |
| Life expectancy at birth | 64.0 (1990) | 73.8 (2026, projected) |
| Total fertility rate | 3.31 (1990) | 2.23 (2026, projected) |
| Living in cities | 34.8% (1990) | 44.8% (2025) |
| People using the internet | – | 73.6% (2025) |
| Access to electricity | – | 91.9% (2024) |
| Adult literacy (ages 15 and over) | 74.6% (1990) | 87.7% (2024) |
| Human Development Index | 0.608 (1990) | 0.756 (2023) |
Only the year is needed. It stays in this browser.
Enter your birth year to compare the world then and now.
How to use this tool
- 1Enter your birth year.
- 2Choose the World or a country.
- 3Read each card: the value around your birth year, the latest value, and the year each refers to.
How it works
Population, median age, life expectancy and children per woman come from the UN World Population Prospects 2024, for the exact years. Years from 2024 on are projections and say so.
Living in cities comes from the UN World Urbanization Prospects 2025, internet use, electricity and literacy from the World Bank, and the Human Development Index from UNDP. These are observed in some years only: each card shows the closest year before your birth year, at most five years earlier, and the latest year observed.
When a source has no value in the five years before your birth year, the card shows only the latest value and says that there is nothing to compare with. The cards are never added up into a score.
Frequently asked questions
Why do the years on the cards differ?
Each source measures in its own years. Literacy, for example, comes from censuses and surveys taken every few years. Showing the real year keeps every comparison honest.
Why is there no internet value for my birth year?
The World Bank series of internet use for the world starts in 2005, and for many countries in the 1990s. For an earlier birth year there is nothing within five years to compare with.
