The World Population Is Topping Off

The world population is expected to grow to roughly 11 billion by 2100, a new report from the United Nations estimates.

Despite that huge number, many regions in the world are forecasted to have slowing population growth. Population growth in Asia and Oceania is expected to start to decline in 2070. Nearly a decade before that, Europe is estimated to be the first region where demographers anticipate the population will start declining. North America is forecasted to follow directly behind Europe, with the population beginning to shrink by 2065. In fact, by 2050 a quarter of the people living in Europe or North America are estimated to be 65 and over.

While many other regions of the world will have slowing or stabilizing population growth, Africa is projected to continue at a steady pace for the rest of the century, with an end of century population of around 491 million. Outside of Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa will drive a large part of the whole world’s population growth.