Dynamic mechanism is an important direction, core and focus of building an important talent center and innovation highland in the world. The dynamic mechanism analysis framework of the world’s important talent centers and innovation highlands was conducted based on the push-pull theory, and reveals that the world’s important talent centers and innovation highlands are affected by three forces: push, pull and resistance. Based on the data of 40 countries from 2013 to 2021, the impact of population development on talent centers and innovation highlands was explored from the perspective of population. From the global perspective, the talent center and innovation highland show a trend of “strong west and weak east”, concentrated in North America and European countries, but the eastern countries began to rise, showing a trend of “rising east and falling west”. Population size will significantly positively affect the construction of the world’s important talent centers and innovation highlands. Population size has a significant positive impact on the construction of talent centers in high-income countries and the construction of innovation highlands in high-income countries. Population size has a significant negative impact on the construction of the world innovation highland in high-income countries. Finally, suggestions are put forward to give full play to the advantages of population, improve the overall quality of talents, gather international top talents and stimulate the vitality of talent innovation to promote the construction of China’s talent center and innovation highland.