As of 2024, there are approximately 4.07 billion males in the world, making up roughly 50.3% of the global population of 8.1 billion. That means men and boys outnumber women and girls by about 40 to 50 million people. The gap is smaller than many people expect, but the reasons behind it reveal some surprising patterns about biology, migration, and aging.
Why There Are Slightly More Males
The male surplus starts at birth. Globally, about 110 boys are born for every 100 girls, a ratio that has held steady for years according to World Bank data. Biologists believe this natural imbalance evolved to offset higher male mortality during childhood and early adulthood, essentially nature’s way of hedging its bets so roughly equal numbers of men and women reach reproductive age.
In some countries, the birth ratio tips even further toward males. China and India, the two most populous nations, have historically recorded birth ratios above the biological norm due to cultural preferences for sons and, in China’s case, decades of a one-child policy. Those extra millions of boys born over the past 30 to 40 years still show up in today’s global headcount.
Where the Male Surplus Is Most Extreme
The countries with the highest male-to-female ratios aren’t necessarily the most populous. They’re Gulf states with massive migrant labor forces. The United Arab Emirates has 2.19 males for every female, the most skewed ratio on Earth. Qatar follows at 2.0, then Kuwait at 1.54, Bahrain at 1.24, and Oman at 1.22. In the UAE’s working-age population (15 to 64), the ratio reaches 2.74 males per female, reflecting the enormous influx of male construction and oil-industry workers from South Asia and other regions.
These ratios don’t reflect the native populations of those countries so much as the demographics of labor migration. Millions of men travel to Gulf states for work while their families remain in their home countries. Strip out the migrant workforce and the ratios look much closer to the global average.
Why Females Outnumber Males in Older Age Groups
The male advantage in numbers disappears with age. Women live significantly longer than men in virtually every country on Earth. In the United States, for instance, female life expectancy in 2024 was 81.4 years compared to 76.5 for males, a gap of nearly 5 years. At age 65, American women can expect to live another 20.8 years on average, while men can expect 18.4 more years.
This longevity gap means that by the time you look at populations over 65, women outnumber men substantially. In many developed countries, there are roughly 80 men for every 100 women in the 65-plus age group. In countries that experienced major wars or where male mortality from alcohol and occupational hazards is especially high (such as Russia and several Eastern European nations), the gap is even wider.
What Drives Higher Male Mortality
Men die at higher rates from nearly every major cause of death, and this pattern holds across racial and ethnic groups. CDC data from the U.S. shows that unintentional injuries (car crashes, falls, overdoses, workplace accidents) killed roughly 225,000 males in a single year, representing 6.5% of all male deaths. Suicide rates are consistently higher among men, accounting for about 2% to 3.6% of male deaths depending on the demographic group. Homicide disproportionately affects men as well, particularly Black men, where it accounts for about 5% of deaths.
Chronic liver disease, often linked to higher rates of alcohol use, kills men at notably higher rates. These patterns aren’t unique to the United States. Globally, men face greater exposure to occupational hazards, are more likely to engage in risky behaviors, and are less likely to seek preventive medical care. The cumulative effect is that the slight male majority at birth gradually erodes through every decade of life.
Projected Changes by 2050
The global male surplus is shrinking. The United Nations projects that the worldwide sex ratio will reach parity, meaning equal numbers of men and women, by around 2050. After that, women are expected to begin outnumbering men globally for the first time in modern demographic records.
Several forces are driving this shift. Countries like China and India have moved away from policies and practices that inflated male birth numbers, so their birth ratios are gradually normalizing. At the same time, the global population is aging rapidly, and because women live longer, the growing share of older adults tilts the balance toward females. By mid-century, the world’s population of roughly 9.7 billion is expected to be split almost evenly, with the male surplus that has defined modern demographics effectively disappearing.