World population to pass 11 billion by 2100

THE WORLD population is expected to reach 8.6 billion in 2030, and to hit 9.8 billion by 2050, despite nearly universal lower fertility rates, according to the UN.

The global population is now at least 7.6 billion, up from 7.4 billion last year, spurred by the relatively high levels of fertility in developing countries.

This is despite an overall drop in the number of children people have around the globe.

The concentration of global population growth is in the poorest countries, presenting a challenge as the world seeks to implement the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, aimed to end poverty and preserve the planet, the report said.

“With roughly 83 million people being added to the world’s population every year, the upward trend in population size is expected to continue, even assuming that fertility levels will continue to decline,” said the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, which produces the UN report.

At this rate, the world population is expected to reach 8.6 billion in 2030, 9.8 billion in 2050 and surpass 11.2 billion in 2100, it said. Xinhua