World Population to Hit 9.7 Billion by 2050

The world’s population will climb to 9.7 billion people by 2050, according to a new French study on Wednesday, with India expected to overtake China as the world’s most populous nation with a staggering 1.6 billion residents.

The report by the French Institute of Demographic Studies mirrored similar projections in recent months by both the United Nations and the World Bank, demonstrating the world’s ongoing population boom, particularly in developing countries.

Africa for instance has been forecasted to see an exponential growth in its population, from 1.1 billion people now to 2.5 billion people in 2050 – a fourth of the world’s total population.

Meanwhile, Asia’s population will grow from 4.3 billion people to 5.2 billion by 2050, according to the study.

Gilles Pison, the author of the report, highlighted that higher prevailing fertility rates in emerging economies remained the main driver of the world’s population growth. In Africa, the fertility rate is around 4.8 children per woman, compared to the global average of 2.5.

Meanwhile, China, as the nation continues to develop economically and socially, will see stagnant population growth, meaning that its population will remain stuck at 1.3 billion people over the next 37 years.

Europe on the hand will see a gradual decrease in its population from 740 million people in 20133 to 726 million by 2050.

The world’s most populous nations at present are China, India (1.2 billion); the U.S. (316.2 million); Indonesia (248.5 million) and Brazil (195.5 million).

Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, though is likely to overtake the U.S. with a population of 444 million against a projected 400 million Americans by the middle of the century.

Econ Matters