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 world’s population is expected to increase from the current 8 billion to 9.7 billion in 2050 and could peak at nearly 10.4 billion in the mid-2080s. This dramatic growth has been driven largely by increasing numbers of people surviving to reproductive age, the gradual increase in human lifespan, increasing urbanization, and accelerating migration. Major changes in fertility rates have accompanied this growth. These trends will have far-reaching implications for generations to come.  

China and India remain the two most populous countries of the world, both with more than 1 billion people, each representing nearly 18 percent of the world’s population, respectively. China’s population growth officially began to decline and in 2023, India overtook China as the world’s most populous country. Africa has the highest rate of population growth, and the population of sub-Saharan Africa is projected to double by 2050. In contrast, several countries are expected to see their populations decline by more than 15 per cent by 2050. Fertility in all European countries is now below the level required for full replacement of the population.