Population growth is at its weakest rate since 1950, according to UN figures, even though there are more people on Earth than ever before due to longer life spans.
According to forecasts by the United Nations Population Division, the eighth billionth resident of the globe was born today.
The world population has surpassed eight billion, which is three times what it was in 1950. Even though there are more people on Earth than ever before due to higher life spans, population growth is at its slowest rate in more than seven decades.
The worldwide population growth rate dropped below 1% in 2020. This is largely attributable to a decrease in the birth rate, as women have fewer children as a result of widespread contraception and improved education and mobility for women and girls.
In 2050, 16% of the world’s population will be aged 65 or older, up from 10% today.
By 2050, there will be twice as many over-65s as under-fives.
Where is its growth the most rapid?
East and Southeast Asia, with 2.3 billion people, and central and South Asia, with 2.1 billion people, are the two fastest-growing regions in the world.
China and India share the title of the world’s most populous nation, with 1.4 billion people each.
Next year, India will surpass China for the first time, according to UN projections.
More than half of the projected population growth between now and 2050 will be concentrated in eight nations: the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Tanzania.
It is anticipated that sub-Saharan African nations will contribute more than half of the anticipated increase through 2050.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo and Tanzania will experience the greatest population growth over the next 30 years, with both countries’ numbers doubling.
Elsewhere in Africa, Nigeria, Ethiopia, and Egypt will experience the greatest growth.
In Asia, outside of India and China, Pakistan and the Philippines will have the most increase.
In general, 46 of the world’s least developed nations will experience the largest population growth between now and 2050.
The majority of this growth (two-thirds) will be driven by past events and the youthful composition of the population.
Where is population decline occurring?
Long years of low fertility have resulted in the slowest growth of the global population in decades.
Moreover, two-thirds of the world’s population lives in nations where women have two or fewer children.
This is roughly the level that would result in global stagnation.
The population of 61 nations will fall by at least 1% between now and 2050, either as a result of declining birth rates or greater migration.
According to estimations, Ukraine’s population will have decreased by more than 20 percent by 2050 as a result of the ongoing civil war.
In the next three decades, Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania, and Serbia will each face a comparable demographic decline.
COVID reduces life expectancy
In 2019, the average life expectancy dropped from 72,8 before the epidemic to 71 last year.
However, the impact of COVID was not the same in every location.
In Central and Southern Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean, life expectancy decreased by almost three years.
But in Australia and New Zealand, which both closed their borders and followed a “zero COVID” policy for the majority of the epidemic, life expectancy climbed by 1.2 years as a result of a lower probability of dying from other causes during successive lockdowns.
According to UN specialists, coronavirus may have caused some short-term decreases in pregnancies, but there is no indication of an overall decline.
What follows?
The world’s population will continue to increase, reaching around 8.5 billion by 2030 and 9.7 billion by 2050.
In the 2080s, the population will begin to peak at approximately 10.4 billion and will remain at that level until 2100.
The following trends are questionable.
By the end of this century, the populations of Australia, New Zealand, the rest of Oceania, North Africa, and Western Asia will still be expanding.
Before the year 2100, the rest of the world, including Europe and North America, will have achieved their peak and begun to fall.
Antonio Guterres, the secretary-general of the United Nations, stated of the eight billion milestones, “This is a time to celebrate our variety, acknowledge our shared humanity, and marvel at advances in health that have increased lifespans and drastically reduced maternal and child mortality.
Nevertheless, he said, “At the same time, it is a reminder of our shared responsibility to care for our planet and an opportunity to reflect on where we continue to fall short of our obligations to one another.”
