World Population to Exceed 10 Billion, Life Expectancy to Reach 74 Years: UN

According to UN data, the world's population is projected to peak in the mid-2080s, reaching approximately 10.3 billion people, before gradually declining to a level significantly lower than previously anticipated a decade ago. The current population of 8.2 billion is expected to rise to that peak in the coming 60 years, after which it will decrease to around 10.2 billion by the end of the century, as stated in a published report entitled ‘World Population Prospects 2024’.

The report notes that by 2100, the global population will be 6% lower, or 700 million less, than was projected in June 2013. “The demographic situation has changed significantly in recent years,” said Li Junhua, Assistant Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs at the UN. He pointed out that the unexpected population growth is influenced by several factors, including a decline in birth rates in some of the world’s largest countries, particularly in China. He remarked that this decline would occur sooner than previously expected, which is a hopeful sign as the world combats global warming; a smaller population means lower cumulative consumption, leading to less strain on the environment.

“However, the slow growth of the population does not eliminate the need to reduce the average footprint associated with each individual’s activities,” the official stated.

Currently, over a quarter of the world’s population, or 28%, resides in 63 countries or regions that have already reached their population peak, including China, Russia, Japan, and Germany, the report indicates. In the next 30 years, another 50 countries, including Brazil, Iran, and Turkey, are expected to join this group.

However, after 2054, population growth will continue in more than 120 countries, including India, Indonesia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and the United States, the UN announced.

The global increase in life expectancy, which was interrupted by the COVID pandemic, has resumed, and in 2024, the average life expectancy is expected to reach 73.3 years. By 2054, it is projected to rise to an average of 77.4 years. This trend suggests that the world’s population will become increasingly gray; forecasts indicate that by the late 2070s, the number of individuals aged 65 and older will reach 2.2 billion, surpassing the number of individuals under the age of 18.