World population hits 8 billion this week
The world population is expected to hit 8 billion on Tuesday, a monumental milestone in human history, just 11 years after the population hit 7 billion.
The population has grown rapidly for almost all of humanity's existence. Between 1 C.E. and 1650, the population grew a measly 200 million, however, the world is now expected to grow another half a billion by 2030. The growth is attributed to the increased life expectancy due to medical advancements. The U.N. predicts that the population will peak at around 10.7 billion in the 2080s. But, population growth is the slowest its been since 1950, and was even below 1 percent in 2020, the U.N. reports.
However, growth has not been even across the board. Experts have predicted that Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Tanzania will make up 50 percent of the world population by 2050. India is slated to overtake China as the most populous country as early as 2023, Forbes reports.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The population of those over 65 is steadily increasing while the population of children is decreasing, due to reducing fertility rates all over the globe. This could pose a problem in the future with fewer younger people to support the growing population of elderly people, threatening systems like Social Security.
With the population still growing, especially in developing countries, the threat of climate change becomes more rampant. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predicts that 3 percent of the population will be displaced because of climate challenges.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Devika Rao has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022, covering science, the environment, climate and business. She previously worked as a policy associate for a nonprofit organization advocating for environmental action from a business perspective.
-
The Week Unwrapped: will the US end child marriage?
Podcast Why some states have no lower limit on marriage age, plus Black maternal health and the price of olive oil
By The Week Staff Published
-
Perplexity AI: has Google finally met its match?
In The Spotlight Generative AI start-up provides fast, Wikipedia-like responses to search queries
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Quiz of The Week: 4 - 10 May
Puzzles and Quizzes Have you been paying attention to The Week's news?
By The Week Staff Published
-
Death toll in Brazil flooding tops 100
Speed Read The record rainfall is linked to El Niño, which has been exacerbated by climate change
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
8 looming climate tipping points that imperil our planet
The Explainer New reports detail the thresholds we may be close to crossing
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Costa Rica's renewable energy success could be under threat
Under the radar Central American nation generates nearly all its electricity from renewable sources but climate change is bringing huge challenges
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
What is cloud seeding and did it cause Dubai's severe rainfall?
The Explainer The future is flooded
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Ottawa climate talks: can global plastic problem be solved?
In the spotlight Nations aim to draft world's first treaty on plastic pollution, but resistance from oil- and gas-producing countries could limit scope
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
What is rock flour and how can it help to fight climate change?
The Explainer Glacier dust to the rescue
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Arid Gulf states hit with year's worth of rain
Speed Read The historic flooding in Dubai is tied to climate change
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The growing thirst for camel milk
Under the radar Climate change and health-conscious consumers are pushing demand for nutrient-rich product – and the growth of industrialised farming
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published