THE WORLD'S POPULATION CONTINUES TO GROW
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2 minutesUnlike many other phenomena, demographic developments can be forecast fairly accurately. It’s certain that the world’s population will continue to grow, especially in Africa. However, the pace will decline substantially between now and 2100
The UN uses different projections for its forecasts. The information in this overview is based on the medium variant. It’s 95 percent likely that the values will be within the marked range
World population by region, in billions
Estimates (1950 to the present)
1950
29.6% of the world population lives in cities.
1962
The world population grows at its highest rate: 2.2 percent.
1965
Africa has around 250 million inhabitants.
1972
According to a computer simulation conducted by the Club of Rome, the world population will begin to shrink in 2072 if resource consumption continues to rise at the previous rate.
2010-2015
The US population grows by 2.3 million per year. It will slow to 1.5 million in around 2050.
2019
The Earth is inhabited by 7.58 billion people.
2030
3.4 percent of all children who are born alive die before they reach their fifth birthday. This figure was still 9.1 percent in 1990.
2030
At 38.9 million, New Delhi is the world’s most populous city. It’s currently Tokyo, at 37.4 million..
2040
64.5 percent of the world population lives in cities.
2040
34.2 percent of all Japanese people are over 65. 2018: 28.2 percent.
2045-2050
Two thirds of all women have fewer than 2.1 children, the value at which a population no longer grows.
2050
50 percent of all young people between the ages of 15 and 24 live in Africa.
2050
Six countries have more than 300 million inhabitants each: India, China, Nigeria, the USA, Indonesia, and Pakistan.
2055
Ten billion people inhabit the Earth.
2095-2100
Europeans have an average life expectancy of 89.3 years at birth. It’s currently 77.2 years.
Sources: United Nations, World Population Prospects: The 2017 Revision, World Urbanization Prospects: The 2018 Revision, The Limits to Growth
Photo: Getty Images
Graphics: KNSKB+
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