Fastest Growing Countries in South America

Population growth rate is determined by the number of deaths in a country divided by the number of births in a year, plus the balance of the migration into and out of a country. The growth rate of a population of a nation can be negative or positive. The population growth rate is a primary factor in helping the government determine how much to invest in resources like food and water, jobs, and infrastructure (such as hospitals and schools), to make sure there will be sufficient resources in the future. Some of the fastest growing nations in South America are listed below.

Countries with the Highest Population Growth Rates in South America

Bolivia

Officially the Plurinational State of Bolivia, Bolivia is a country located in the western-central region of South America. Bolivia tops the list as the fastest-growing nation in South America with a growth rate of 1.56% between 2010 and 2015. By 2010, the country had a population of 9,918 million people, which increased by 162,000 in 2011, representing a growth rate of 1.63%. By 2015, the population had increased by an average of 1.56% to 10.72 million. The average birth rate in the country is 24.45 births for every 1,000 people, while the death rate is 7.6 deaths for every 1,000 people. From 1970 until 2015, the migration rate increased by an average of 1.86%.

Ecuador

Located in northwestern South America, Ecuador had a population of 14.93 million in 2010. The country's population growth rate dropped from 2.9% in 1967 to approximately 1.5% in 2015. Between 2010 and 2015 Ecuador experienced an average population growth rate of 1.56%, with the rate decreasing from 1.6% in 2013 to 1.5% in 2015. The country has had an average of 21.22 births per 1,000 people, and 5.15 deaths per 1,000 individuals between 2010 and 2015. The net migration rate was -0.49 per 1,000 people in 2015.

Venezuela

Situated on the northern coast of South America, Venezuela is a country with a population of 31.57 million people. The population was 29.03 million in 2010, which increased by 430,000, representing a 1.47% growth, and an average growth rate of 1.41% between 2010 and 2015. The country had an average of 19.98 births per 1,000 people and an average of 5.46 deaths per 1,000 people between 2010 and 2015. The net migration rate of the country dropped from 0.06 to -0.46 between 1970 and 2015.

Paraguay

Paraguay is a landlocked nation situated in central South America and is bordered by Bolivia, Brazil, and Argentina with a population of over 6.73 million. Paraguay had a population of 6.21 million in 2010, which increased by 83,906 individuals, and represents a growth rare of 1.35%. Between 2010 and 2015 Paraguay experienced an average growth rate of 1.34%. Paraguay had an average birth rate of 21.7 births per 1,000, and a death rate of 5.62 between 2010 to 2015. The migration rate fluctuated between -3.91 and -2.7.

Peru

Peru is located in the western part of South America and has a population of 31.77 million. Peru is surrounded By Bolivia, Chile, Brazil, Colombia, and Ecuador. The number of people living in Peru was 29.37 million in 2010, which increased by 390,000 and represents a population growth rate of 1.33%. Peru has experienced an average population growth rate of 1.32% between 2010 and 2015. Peru had an average of 20.3 births per 1,000 people and 5.6 deaths per 1,000 people. The net migration rate of Peru increased to -1.58 migrants per thousand in 2015, compared to -3.44 recorded in 2010.

Factors Contributing to High Growth Rates

An increase in birth rate and a decrease in death rate always increases a country's population, given that the migration rate remains low or constant. The migration rate is affected by factors such as the allocation of resources in a country, as more jobs usually result in migration into the country, while poor working conditions often result migratiion to other nations.