World’s population to reach 880 crore by 2100

By 2100, the world’s population will reach 880 crore. However, the number is two billion fewer than current UN projections.

A major study published on Wednesday made the projection. An international team of researchers reported the study in The Lancet.

The study foresees new global power alignments shaped by declining fertility rates and greying populations.

According to the study, by century’s end, 183 of 195 countries—barring an influx of immigrants—will have fallen below the replacement threshold needed to maintain population levels.

More than 20 countries—including Japan, Spain, Italy, Thailand, Portugal, South Korea and Poland—will see their numbers diminish by at least half.

China's will fall nearly that much, from 1.4 billion people today to 730 million in 80 years.

Sub-Saharan Africa, meanwhile, will triple in size to some three billion people, with Nigeria alone expanding to almost 800 million in 2100, second only to India's 1.1 billion.

“These forecasts suggest good news for the environment, with less stress on food production systems and lower carbon emissions, as well as significant economic opportunity for parts of sub-Saharan Africa,” lead author Christopher Murray, director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington, said.

“However, most countries outside of Africa will see shrinking workforces and inverting population pyramids, which will have profound negative consequences for the economy.”

Dhaka/AKA