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Key messages
The world’s population continues to grow, but the pace of growth is slowing down
The world’s population is projected to reach 8 billion on 15 November 2022.
The latest projections by the United Nations suggest that the global population could grow to around 8.5 billion in 2030, 9.7 billion in 2050 and 10.4 billion in 2100.
Population growth is caused in part by declining levels of mortality, as reflected in increased levels of life expectancy at birth. Globally, life expectancy reached 72.8 years in 2019, an increase of almost 9 years since 1990. Further reductions in mortality are projected to result in an average longevity of around 77.2 years globally in 2050.
Life expectancy at birth for women exceeded that for men by 5.4 years globally, with female and male life expectancies standing at 73.8 and 68.4, respectively. A female survival advantage is observed in all regions and countries, ranging from 7 years in Latin America and the Caribbean to 2.9 years in Australia and New Zealand.
Following a drop in mortality, population growth continues so long as fertility remains at high levels. When fertility begins to fall, the annual rate of growth starts to drop.
In 2021, the average fertility of the world’s population stood at 2.3 births per woman over a lifetime, having fallen from about 5 births per woman in 1950. Global fertility is projected to decline further to 2.1 births per woman by 2050.
In 2020, the global growth rate fell under 1 per cent per year for the first time since 1950. The world’s population is projected to reach a peak of around 10.4 billion people during the 2080s and to remain at that level until 2100.
(Video) World population touches 8 billion says UN report | World Population Prospects 2022Two-thirds of the projected increase in global population through 2050 will be driven by the momentum of past growth that is embedded in the youthful age structure of the current population. Such growth would occur even if childbearing in today's high-fertility countries were to fall immediately to around two births per woman.
Given that most population increase until 2050 will be driven by the momentum of past growth, further actions by Governments aimed at reducing fertility would do little to slow the pace of growth between now and mid-century, beyond the gradual slowdown indicated by the projections presented here. Nevertheless, the cumulative impact of such changes could contribute to a more substantial reduction of global population growth in the second half of the century.
Sustained high fertility and rapid population growth present challenges to the achievement of sustainable development. The necessity of educating growing numbers of children and young people, for example, draws resources away from efforts to improve the quality of education.
For countries with continuing high levels of fertility, achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those related to health, education and gender, is likely to hasten the transition towards lower fertility and slower population growth.
Rates of population growth vary significantly across countries and regions
In 2022, the two most populous regions were both in Asia: Eastern and South-Eastern Asia with 2.3 billion people (29 per cent of the global population), and Central and Southern Asia with 2.1 billion (26 per cent). China and India, with more than 1.4 billion each, accounted for most of the population in these two regions.
More than half of the projected increase in global population up to 2050 will be concentrated in just eight countries: the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines and the United Republic of Tanzania. Disparate growth rates among the world’s largest countries will re-order their ranking by size.
India is projected to surpass China as the world’s most populous country during 2023.
Countries of sub-Saharan Africa are expected to continue growing through 2100 and to contribute more than half of the global population increase anticipated through 2050.
Whereas the populations of Australia and New Zealand, Northern Africa and Western Asia, and Oceania (excluding Australia and New Zealand) are expected to experience slower, but still positive, growth through the end of the century, the populations of Eastern and South-Eastern Asia, Central and Southern Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Europe and Northern America are projected to reach their peak size and to begin to decline before 2100.
(Video) The Global Population will surpass 8 billion people this year - Press Conference | United NationsThe 46 least developed countries (LDCs) are among the world’s fastest-growing. Many are projected to double in population between 2022 and 2050, putting additional pressure on resources and posing challenges to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
For many countries and areas, including some small island developing States (SIDS), the challenges posed by rapid growth are compounded by their vulnerability to climate change and sea-level rise.
Levels and patterns of fertility and mortality vary widely around the world
The gap in life expectancy at birth between certain groups of countries remains wide. In 2021, life expectancy in the least developed countries lagged 7.0 years behind the global average, due largely to persistently high levels of child and maternal mortality and, in some countries, to violence and conflict or to the continuing impact of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic.
In 2021, fertility levels high enough to sustain positive growth were found in sub-Saharan Africa (4.6 births per woman), Oceania excluding Australia and New Zealand (3.1), Northern Africa and Western Asia (2.8), and Central and Southern Asia (2.3).
Some countries, including several in sub-Saharan Africa and in Latin America and the Caribbean, continue to experience high levels of adolescent fertility, with potential adverse consequences for the health and well-being of both the young mothers and their children. In 2021, 13.3 million babies, or about 10 per cent of the total worldwide, were born to mothers under 20 years old.
The population of older persons is increasing both in numbers and as a share of the total
The share of the global population aged 65 years or above is projected to rise from 10 per cent in 2022 to 16 per cent in 2050.
By 2050, the number of persons aged 65 years or over worldwide is projected to be more than twice the number of children under age 5 and about the same as the number of children under age 12.
Whereas population growth at older ages is driven by lower mortality and increased survival, an upward shift in the population age distribution is caused by a sustained drop in the fertility level.
(Video) The SCARY TRUTH behind the World Reaching 8 BILLION PEOPLE, Over Population, & BILL GATESBecause of the female advantage in life expectancy, women outnumber men at older ages in almost all populations. Globally, women comprised 55.7 per cent of persons aged 65 or older in 2022, and their share is projected to decline slightly to 54.5 per cent by 2050.
Countries with ageing populations should take steps to adapt public programmes to the growing proportion of older persons, including by improving the sustainability of social security and pension systems and by establishing universal health care and long-term care systems.
A sustained drop in fertility leads to an increased concentration of the population at working ages, creating an opportunity for accelerated economic growth per capita
In most countries of sub-Saharan Africa, as well as in parts of Asia and Latin America and the Caribbean, the share of population at working ages (between 25 and 64 years) has been increasing in recent years thanks to reductions in fertility. This shift in the age distribution provides a time-bound opportunity for accelerated economic growth known as the “demographic dividend”.
To maximize the potential benefits of a favourable age distribution, countries need to invest in the further development of their human capital by ensuring access to health care and quality education at all ages and by promoting opportunities for productive employment and decent work.
More and more countries have begun to experience population decline
The populations of 61 countries or areas are projected to decrease by 1 per cent or more between 2022 and 2050, owing to sustained low levels of fertility and, in some cases, elevated rates of emigration.
Total fertility has fallen markedly in recent decades for many countries. Today, two-thirds of the global population lives in a country or area where fertility is below 2.1 births per woman, roughly the level required for zero growth in the long run for a population with low mortality.
Among countries with at least half a million people, the largest relative reductions in population size until 2050, with losses of 20 per cent or more, are expected to occur in Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania, Serbia and Ukraine.
International migration is having important impacts on population trends for some countries
In some parts of the world, international migration has become a major component of population change.
For high-income countries between 2000 and 2020, the contribution of international migration to population growth (net inflow of 80.5 million) exceeded the balance of births over deaths (66.2 million). Over the next few decades, migration will be the sole driver of population growth in high-income countries. By contrast, for the foreseeable future, population increase in low-income and lower-middle-income countries will continue to be driven by an excess of births over deaths.
Between 2010 and 2021, 40 countries or areas experienced a net inflow of more than 200,000 migrants each; in each of 17 of them, the net inflow over this period exceeded 1 million people. For several of the top receiving countries, including Jordan, Lebanon and Türkiye, high levels of immigration in this period were driven mostly by refugee movements, in particular from Syrian Arab Republic.
For 10 countries, the estimated net outflow of migrants exceeded 1 million over the period from 2010 through 2021. In many of these countries, the outflows were due to temporary labour movements, such as for Pakistan (net flow of -16.5 million), India (-3.5 million), Bangladesh (-2.9 million), Nepal (-1.6 million) and Sri Lanka (-1.0 million). In other countries, including Syrian Arab Republic (-4.6 million), Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) (-4.8 million) and Myanmar (-1.0 million), insecurity and conflict drove the outflow of migrants over this period.
All countries, whether experiencing net inflows or outflows of migrants, should take steps to facilitate orderly, safe, regular and responsible migration, in accordance with SDG target 10.7.
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all components of population change, including fertility, mortality and migration
Global life expectancy at birth fell to 71.0 years in 2021, down from 72.8 in 2019, due mostly to the impact of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
The pandemic’s impact on life expectancy has varied across regions and countries. In Central and Southern Asia and in Latin America and the Caribbean, life expectancy at birth fell by almost three years between 2019 and 2021. By contrast, the combined population of Australia and New Zealand gained 1.2 years due to lower mortality risks during the pandemic for some causes of death. In some countries, the pandemic has been responsible for a significant reduction in life expectancy at birth. For Bolivia (Plurinational State of), Botswana, Lebanon, Mexico, Oman and the Russian Federation, estimates of life expectancy at birth declined by more than 4 years between 2019 and 2021.
Available evidence about the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on fertility levels remains mixed. In low- and middle-income countries, the availability of and the demand for contraception, as well as reported numbers of unintended pregnancies and births, have remained relatively stable. In high-income countries, successive waves of the pandemic may have generated short-term fluctuations in numbers of pregnancies and births.
The COVID-19 pandemic severely restricted all forms of human mobility, including international migration. The magnitude of the pandemic’s impact on migration trends is difficult to ascertain due to data limitations.
(Video) World Population Prospects-2022 Explained
Population data provide critical information for use in development planning
The quality of population estimates and projections hinges on the collection of reliable and timely demographic data, including through civil registration and vital statistics systems, population censuses, population registers and household surveys.
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected many data collection operations worldwide. Countries and development partners should give priority to the ongoing 2020 round of national population censuses, as such data provide critical information to inform development planning and to assess progress towards the achievement of the SDGs.
FAQs
What is the current population of the world 2022? ›
Global population projected to exceed 8 billion in 2022; half live in just seven countries. The world's population will cross 8 billion in November, according to recently released projections from the United Nations. And more than half of all people live in just seven countries.
Is the world population increasing or decreasing 2022? ›The world's population continues to grow, but the pace of growth is slowing down • The world's population is projected to reach 8 billion on 15 November 2022. in 2030, 9.7 billion in 2050 and 10.4 billion in 2100. expectancy at birth.
What is the male to female ratio in the world 2022? ›Currently, the world population is increasing by more than 90 million per year. The Global sex ratio is 1.018. It means that we have slightly more men then women.
What is the theme of World Population Day in 2022? ›This 2022 year, World population day 2022 theme is "A world of 8 billion: Towards a resilient future for all - harnessing opportunities and ensuring rights and choices for all".
Is the world population increasing? ›Our growing population
The world's population is more than three times larger than it was in the mid-twentieth century. The global human population reached 8.0 billion in mid-November 2022 from an estimated 2.5 billion people in 1950, adding 1 billion people since 2010 and 2 billion since 1998.
The past and future of the global age structure. In 1950 there were 2.5 billion people on the planet. Now in 2022, there are around 8 billion. By the end of the century, the UN expects a global population of around 10.4 billion.
Why the world population is decreasing? ›As more women got an education, worked outside the home and got a later start on children in many countries with access to contraception, couples had fewer children and the population started to decline. In 2020, the global population growth rate fell under 1% for the first time since 1950.
How fast is the world's population growing? ›Population growth is the increase in the number of people in a population or dispersed group. Actual global human population growth amounts to around 83 million annually, or 1.1% per year. The global population has grown from 1 billion in 1800 to 7.9 billion in 2020.
Will the population increase or decrease? ›The global growth rate in absolute numbers accelerated to a peak of 92.9 million in 1988, but has declined to 81.3 million in 2020. Long-term projections indicate that the growth rate of the human population of this planet will continue to decline and that by the end of the 21st century, it will reach zero.
Which country has the most female? ›Worldwide, the male population is slightly higher than the female population, although this varies by country. As of 2021, the Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong, under the control of China, has the highest share of women worldwide with 54.2 percent.
Are there more boys or girls born? ›
We might expect that naturally an equal number of boys and girls are born, but this is not the case. There are biological reasons why more boys than girls are born each year: around 105 boys per 100 girls.
How many genders are there in the world? ›There are many different gender identities, including male, female, transgender, gender neutral, non-binary, agender, pangender, genderqueer, two-spirit, third gender, and all, none or a combination of these.
Why is World Population Day important? ›World Population Day, which seeks to focus attention on the urgency and importance of population issues, was established by the then-Governing Council of the United Nations Development Programme in 1989, an outgrowth of the interest generated by the Day of Five Billion, which was observed on 11 July 1987.
How do you control a population? ›Population control may involve culling, translocation, or manipulation of the reproductive capability. The growth of a population may be limited by environmental factors such as food supply or predation.
Who is the father of Population Day? ›The day was suggested by Dr. K.C.Zachariah in which population reached five billion when he worked as Sr Demographer at World Bank.
What causes population growth? ›Overall, population grows or shrinks through two very basic components – natural change (births minus deaths) and migration (domestic plus international).
What are the problems of population growth? ›Global population growth and the destructive consumption habits of high-wealth countries put pressure on biodiversity and human communities, exacerbating food and water shortages, reducing resilience in the face of climate change, and making it harder for vulnerable groups to rise out of intergenerational poverty.
How can we stop population growth? ›- Generously fund family planning programs.
- Make modern contraception legal, free and available everywhere, even in remote areas.
- Improve health care to reduce infant and child mortality.
- Restrict child marriage and raise the legal age of marriage (minimum 18 years)
When demographers attempt to forecast changes in the size of a population, they typically focus on four main factors: fertility rates, mortality rates (life expectancy), the initial age profile of the population (whether it is relatively old or relatively young to begin with) and migration.
How does increasing population affect the environment? ›The impact of so many humans on the environment takes two major forms: consumption of resources such as land, food, water, air, fossil fuels and minerals. waste products as a result of consumption such as air and water pollutants, toxic materials and greenhouse gases.
Why the population will stop growing? ›
Ruiz. For the first time in modern history, the world's population is expected to virtually stop growing by the end of this century, due in large part to falling global fertility rates, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of new data from the United Nations.
What are 5 effects of rapid population growth? ›The 5 effects of rapid population growth are increased economic growth of a country, growing demand for jobs, lack of housing and schools, lack of infrastructure leading to poor living, and increase in pollution and waste.
Which country population is increasing? ›| Characteristic | Population growth compared to the previous year |
|---|---|
| Angola | 3.38% |
| Benin | 3.36% |
| Uganda | 3.31% |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | 3.16% |
And while every population pyramid is unique, most can be categorized into three prototypical shapes: expansive (young and growing), constrictive (elderly and shrinking), and stationary (little or no population growth). Let's take a deeper dive into the trends these three shapes reveal about a population and its needs.
How can we increase population? ›- Higher taxation of married couples who have no, or too few, children.
- Politicians imploring the populace to have bigger families.
- Tax breaks and subsidies for families with children.
- Loosening of immigration restrictions, and/or mass recruitment of foreign workers by the government.
The population of females in the world is estimated at 3,904,727,342 or 3,905 million or 3.905 billion, representing 49.58% of the world population. The world has 65,511,048 or 65.51 million more males than females. Gender Ratio in the World in 2021 is 101.68 males per 100 females.
How Many people Can Earth Support? ›Earth's capacity
Many scientists think Earth has a maximum carrying capacity of 9 billion to 10 billion people. [ How Do You Count 7 Billion People?] One such scientist, the eminent Harvard University sociobiologist Edward O. Wilson, bases his estimate on calculations of the Earth's available resources.
| Rank | Country | Decline 2020-2050 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bulgaria | 22.5% |
| 2 | Lithuania | 22.1% |
| 3 | Latvia | 21.6% |
| 4 | Ukraine | 19.5% |
Ireland scored the highest among nearly all of the factors Bounce analyzed in its study. The country ranked at the top for having laws in place to protect women from violence and its people's attitudes toward violence against women.
Where is the best place to meet a girl? ›- Look for Specific Types of Events That You Enjoy. View this post on Instagram. ...
- Art Classes/Groups. ...
- Co-Ed Sports Teams. ...
- Community Volunteer Events. ...
- Local/Small Concerts. ...
- Local Social Gathering Groups. ...
- Yoga Class. ...
- Private Parties.
What country has the most boys? ›
...
Which Country Has the Most Males?
| Male Population (As % of Total Population) | Unit |
|---|---|
| United Arab Emirates | % |
Biological differences also help to explain women's higher longevity. Scientists believe that estrogen in women combats conditions such as heart disease by helping reduce circulatory levels of harmful cholesterol. Women are also thought to have stronger immune systems than men.
Who is responsible for baby gender? ›When I tell patients there's about a 50/50 chance for either sex, I also tell them the father's genes determine the baby's sex since some of his sperm carries X chromosomes and some carries Y chromosomes. That's with the assumption, though, that the man's sperm carries equal numbers of X and Y chromosomes.
What does the 2 in LGBTQ2 mean? ›A person whose gender identity is different from the sex placed on their birth certificate. “Q” stands for Queer. Queer is an umbrella term often time used to categorize the entirety of the LGBTQ2+ community. Next, we have the “2”. It's for Two-Spirits.
What are the 4 genders? ›In English, the four genders of noun are masculine, feminine, common, and neuter.
What are the 5 genders? ›At the point of contact, all Native American societies acknowledged three to five gender roles: Female, male, Two Spirit female, Two Spirit male and transgendered.
Who started World Population Day? ›World Population Day on July 11 is a holiday that's dedicated to focusing on the importance of population issues. The day was established by the United Nations as a result of the massive interest people had in Five Billion Day in 1987.
How does population affect the economy? ›The effect of population growth can be positive or negative depending on the circumstances. A large population has the potential to be great for economic development: after all, the more people you have, the more work is done, and the more work is done, the more value (or, in other words, money) is created.
Why is overpopulation a problem? ›More people means an increased demand for food, water, housing, energy, healthcare, transportation, and more. And all that consumption contributes to ecological degradation, increased conflicts, and a higher risk of large-scale disasters like pandemics.
What is population easy words? ›Population refers to the total number of beings living in a particular area. Population helps us get an estimate of the number of beings and how to act accordingly. For instance, if we know the particular population of a city, we can estimate the number of resources it needs.
Who invented population? ›
Thomas Robert Malthus was a famous 18th-century British economist known for the population growth philosophies outlined in his 1798 book An Essay on the Principle of Population.
What is population day speech? ›Speech on World Population Day – The World Population Day is a United Nations initiative that the entire world celebrates on the 11th of July every year. Furthermore, the aim of this day is to create awareness about the exploding world population and the importance of reproductive health.
What is the slogan of World Population Day? ›Be proud and control the crowd. Happy World Population Day. Two children, bright future; More children, no future. A small family is sweet, but a big family is a crowd.
Who is the 8 billionth person? ›NEW YORK (CBS) - The world's population has now reached an estimated 8 billion people. The honor of the 8-billionth person goes to a baby born in the Dominican Republic Tuesday. A projection from the United Nations calls the birth a "milestone in human development."
How many humans will be alive in 2050? ›How accurate have past population projections been? The United Nations projects that global population will reach 9.7 billion people in 2050, and population growth almost coming to an end at 10.4 billion in 2100.
When did population reach 7 billion? ›Humanity passed the 7 billion milestone in 2011 and the UN estimates it will not reach 9 billion until 2037, 15 years from now.
What will be world's population in 2050? ›World population projected to reach 9.8 billion in 2050, and 11.2 billion in 2100. The current world population of 7.6 billion is expected to reach 8.6 billion in 2030, 9.8 billion in 2050 and 11.2 billion in 2100, according to a new United Nations report being launched today.
Who is the 7th billionth baby? ›Sadia Sultana Oishee, an 11-year-old from Bangladesh, who is the seventh-billionth child in the world, is aware of her fame. She was born in 2011, and according to her parents, her birth was nothing short of an event, with politicians and television crews swarming around her mother to get a look at her.
Who is the 1th billionth baby? ›Aastha Arora arrived in the world amidst much fanfare. Within hours of her birth at 05:05 on 11 May 2000 in Delhi's Safdarjung hospital, the new-born was presented to the world as India's "one billionth citizen". Government ministers were photographed cradling the infant, wrapped in a soft pink blanket.
Who was the 6 billionth baby? ›Adnan Mević, born in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, 12 October 1999, was chosen by the United Nations as the symbolic 6 billionth concurrently alive person on Earth. He is the first son of Fatima Mević, and her husband Jasminko Mević.
How long do humans have left? ›
Humanity has a 95% probability of being extinct in 7,800,000 years, according to J. Richard Gott's formulation of the controversial Doomsday argument, which argues that we have probably already lived through half the duration of human history.
What will cities be like 50 years from now? ›In the future, cities may see flying vehicles, mega bridges, super-connected street experiences, and underground spaces. Those futuristic cities will be powered by big data, the Internet of Things, and artificial intelligence – so they may live, breathe, and even think with us.
When did the world hit 1 billion? ›“The milestone is an occasion to celebrate diversity and advancements while considering humanity's shared responsibility for the planet,” he said. It took all of human history to reach 1 billion people in the early 19th century, and about 123 years to reach 2 billion and 33 years to reach 3 billion people in 1960.
When did Earth hit 6 billion? ›According to the latest United Nations population estimates, world population reaches ,the six billion mark on 12 October 1999, an historic milestone in the growth of world population.
What year will we reach 10 billion? ›The latest UN population update, released in July this year, also revises its long-term projection down from 11 billion people to 10.4 billion by 2100.
What is the future of world population? ›...
Table of UN projections.
| Year | Total population |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 7,953,952,577 |
| 2023 | 8,031,800,338 |
| 2024 | 8,108,605,256 |
| 2025 | 8,184,437,453 |
Why does the population continue to grow? The growth of the world's population over the past two centuries is largely the result of advances in modern medicine and reductions in global poverty. These have significantly reduced infant, child and maternal mortality, contributing to an increase in life expectancy.
What is population growth PDF? ›Population. growth rate describes the per capita rate of growth of a. population, either as the factor by which population size. increases per year, conventionally given the symbol.