10 billion: India is expected to overtake China and lead the charge of world population growth | Buzz travel

The world's population will increase by 2 billion in the next three decades, approaching the threshold of 10 billion by 2050, announced the UN. India, which is expected to overtake China, will lead the charge.

A recently released report by the Population Division of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) entitled "World Population Prospects 2019: Highlights" estimates that an incredible 9.7 Billion people will be living in the Earth by 2050, an increase of two billion from now on.

Nine countries are expected to be responsible for more than half of this increase. India leads the way, with 273 million additional inhabitants and 1.37 billion inhabitants, ahead of China, whose population is expected to decrease by 31.4 million between 2019 and 2050. China's population will continue to decline and is expected to reach 1.1 billion by 2100, while India is expected to have 1.4 billion people at that time.

Nigeria, which is not lagging behind, is expected to add 200 million people by 2050. Pakistan, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Indonesia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt and the United States United are the seven other countries to lead the world. global population growth over the next 30 years, according to the report.

But the biggest increase in the size of the population will take place in sub-Saharan Africa, where it will double by 2050, a development that could weigh more heavily on the fragile social systems of countries.

"Most of the fastest growing populations are in the poorest countries, where population growth brings additional challenges," said DAES Deputy Secretary General Liu Zhenmin on Monday.

Although the numbers are staggering, population growth is slowing and should stop almost. At present, the average number of births per woman is 2.5, but it is expected to fall to 2.2 by 2050, placing the world on the brink of demographic decline. A rate of 2.1 births per woman is considered barely enough to support the population, which is expected to peak at the end of the century at 11 billion.

The smallest number of births per woman will hit hardest in the 55 countries that should see their population decline by at least 1%. The peloton is led by China and followed by other countries, many of which are located in Eastern Europe or the Caribbean. Lithuania and Bulgaria will experience the largest decline, with populations declining by 23% by 2050. Latvia, with an estimated decline of 22%, is followed by the Wallis and Futuna Islands (20%) and Ukraine ( 20%).

Researchers are concerned about the rapid population growth of developing countries, but they also point to the growing number of people 65 years of age and older who are an economic burden. While only one in 11 currently belongs to this age group, by 2050, one in six will be 65 or older. In some regions, such as Asia, Latin America and North Africa, the proportion of the elderly population is expected to double by 2050, the study notes.