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.
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.
-
Trump’s poll collapse: can he stop the slide?Talking Point President who promised to ease cost-of-living has found that US economic woes can’t be solved ‘via executive fiat’
-
Codeword: December 7, 2025The daily codeword puzzle from The Week
-
Crossword: December 7, 2025The daily crossword from The Week
-
Death toll from Southeast Asia storms tops 1,000speed read Catastrophic floods and landslides have struck Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia
-
Can for-profit geoengineering put a pause on climate change?In the Spotlight Stardust Solutions wants to dim the sun. Scientists are worried.
-
How will climate change affect the UK?The Explainer Met Office projections show the UK getting substantially warmer and wetter – with more extreme weather events
-
Can the UK do more on climate change?Today's Big Question Labour has shown leadership in the face of fraying international consensus, but must show the public their green mission is ‘a net benefit, not a net cost’
-
Did Cop30 fulfil its promise to Indigenous Brazilians?Today’s Big Question Brazilian president approves 10 new protected territories, following ‘unprecedented’ Indigenous presence at conference, both as delegates and protesters
-
Can the world adapt to climate change?Today's Big Question As the world gets hotter, COP30 leaders consider resilience efforts
-
Taps could run dry in drought-stricken TehranUnder the Radar President warns that unless rationing eases water crisis, citizens may have to evacuate the capital
-
The future of the Paris AgreementThe Explainer UN secretary general warns it is ‘inevitable’ the world will overshoot 1.5C target, but there is still time to change course
