Since 1950, the world‘s population has grown by 1% to 2% each year.
The world‘s population is likely to decline after 2050, analysis suggests, a potential threat to the global economy, as declining numbers of people of working age affect production and tax roles.
It would be the first time in modern history that the growth of the world‘s population has stopped, researchers in the newspaper The Lancet said. Access to birth control and education for women will help bring fertility rates below the level necessary to maintain current populations, the authors said.
“This study provides an opportunity for governments of all countries to start rethinking their migration, labor and economic development policies to meet the challenges of demographic change,” said the author. Principal Christopher Murray, Director of the University’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. from Washington School of Medicine, in a statement.
Since 1950, the world‘s population has grown by 1% to 2% each year. Growth will continue and probably peak in 2064 at around 9.7 billion, then decline to around 8.8 billion by 2100 – about 2 billion less than previous estimates, the report said.
Asia and Central and Eastern Europe will see some of the fastest reductions, according to the analysis. Twenty-three countries will see their populations decrease by more than half, including Japan, Thailand, Italy and Spain, predicted the authors.
The United States is expected to have the fourth largest working-age population in the world in 2100, DRWE in India, Nigeria and China. Immigration is likely to support the country’s workforce, with an additional half a million people estimated to immigrate to the United States compared to emigration this year.
Sub-Saharan Africa could become more powerful as its population increases, according to the analysis, and India and China have also been seen to gain influence. The study predicted huge changes in the global age structure, with people over 80 being twice as numerous as children under five.
A demographic crisis could have major consequences for the economy. The decline in the number of workers will lead to economic decline and slower growth in living standards, and will strain pensions and health care, the authors said.
“There is a very real danger that, in the face of declining populations, some countries may be considering policies that restrict access to reproductive health services, with potentially devastating consequences,” said Murray.
(With the exception of the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
