GENEVA: The world’s population is expected to grow by more than 2 billion people in the coming decades, reaching around 10.3 billion by the 2080s, according to a new United Nations report released on Thursday. This marks a significant change from predictions made just a decade ago.
The report, released on World Population Day, also forecasts that the global population will decline slightly to about 10.2 billion by the end of the century.
“However, changes in global population are uneven, and the demographic landscape is evolving, with rapid population growth in some places and rapid aging in others, making reliable population data more important than ever,” said the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
As of 2024, population size has peaked in 63 countries, including China, Germany, Japan, and Russia. The total population of these countries is projected to decrease by 14 percent over the next 30 years.
For 48 other countries, including Brazil, Iran, Türkiye, and Vietnam, the population is expected to peak between 2025 and 2054. In 126 remaining countries, including India, Indonesia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and the United States, the population is expected to continue growing until 2054 and possibly peak later in the century.
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In nine countries, including Angola, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Niger, and Somalia, rapid population growth is projected, with their populations potentially doubling between 2024 and 2054.
By the late 2070s, the number of people aged 65 or older is expected to surpass the number of children under 18. By the mid-2030s, there will be more people aged 80 or older than infants under the age of one.
Even in rapidly growing countries with young populations, the number of people aged 65 or older is expected to increase over the next 30 years.
