Catalina Espinosa
Research expert covering society, economy, and politics for Europe and the EU
Population - statistics & facts
Over the last 200 years, the world's population has grown rapidly. Whereas only around one billion people lived on the Earth in the early 19th century, the total population has reached over eight billion in 2023. This number is expected to continue to increase over the coming decades, arriving at almost 10 billion by 2060, before flattening more in the latter half of the 21st century. This development sets up huge challenges for future generations. For instance, in 2025, humanity is currently using nature's resources 1.8 times faster than ecosystems can regenerate. This means that 1.8 Earths would be needed per year if this pace of consumption continues, as people are emitting more carbon dioxide than the biosphere can absorb, using more freshwater than can be replenished, and overusing finite natural resources.
Africa: a continent with a booming population
While it is anticipated that some continents will experience population decreases in the coming years, the forecast global population growth by continent shows that Africa is expected to witness a population increase from 1.5 billion people in 2025 to over 3.8 billion in 2100. Moreover, the population share of young people is greatest in Africa compared to the rest of the world. Indeed, in 2024, more than 40 percent of Sub-Saharan Africa’s inhabitants are less than 15 years old. Of course, the rate and amount of the population increase depend on future events such as famines and epidemics. Finally, African countries are some of those that will be hardest hit by climate change, which will also have an impact on internal migration, as well as population developments.
Ageing populations
While African countries tend to have populations with a higher proportion of young people, opposite is true in developed countries. For instance, most of the countries with the highest median age in the world are found in Europe and some Asian countries such as Japan. In these regions people also tend to live longer, with Japan also being one of two countries with the highest life expectancy. However, Asia and Europe host many of the countries with the lowest fertility rates, meaning that the population increase can only be sustained by immigration.
Challenges to come
As a result, Europe’s population is estimated to decrease by more than 150 million by 2100. Already, many of these countries are facing a decrease in the working-age population and an increase in the older age population, forcing governments, companies, and families to rethink employment and elderly care over the coming decades. In other words, whereas some of the challenges related to an increasing population, such as tackling climate change, are global, different regions and countries will have their own demographic challenges to resolve too.
