For the past decade or so we’ve constantly heard that the explosive growth of the populations of India, Africa and other poorer nations will lead to an unsustainable, and generally poor, world population of around 12 billion by 2300.
Currently, the world sits at 6.4 billion people. China is the most populous, but due to stringent birth restrictions in that country, and the lack of the same in India… the latter is quickly catching up with China.
The UN has today Released a 254 page Document on the projections of world health and population until the year 2300.
Long-range population projections are reported to 2300, covering twice as long a period as ever covered in previous United Nations projections. These projections are not done by major area and for selected large countries (China and India), as was the previous practice, but for all countries of the world, providing greater detail.
In these projections, world population peaks at 9.22 billion in 2075. Population therefore grows slightly beyond the level of 8.92 billion projected for 2050 in the 2002 Revision, on which these projections are based. However, after reaching its maximum, world population declines slightly and then resumes increasing, slowly, to reach a level of 8.97 billion by 2300, not much different from the projected 2050 figure.
This looks to be a very interesting report… the authors make it clear, though, that even a slight deviation of say, 0.1% in fertility rates in some areas will have a huge affect on the projection out to 2300.
Hopefully as our population grows we will find ways to manage our surroundings more efficiently and responsibly… rather than continuing with the excesses of today.