Signal World population +1.5 billion by 2050, peaking around 2086 at 10.2 billion

Summary

According to the UN's World Population Prospects, the global population will grow by 1.5 billion between 2024 and 2050 and peak at about 10.2 billion around 2086, projections that have been revised downward. Growth is concentrated mainly in African countries and some Asian countries, while in many other countries birth rates are already falling structurally. The report explains that falling fertility often goes together with urbanisation, higher education levels, more women in paid work and greater socio-economic demands on women and families. China combines very fast past growth with rapid ageing, a shrinking young population and a steep decline in the coming decades, which the report cites as one reason for its strong push on robotics and industrial digitalisation. Europe's population is also ageing and could shrink depending on immigration.