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Our global society just hit a significant milestone: a worldwide population of 8 billion people. This milestone comes just 12 years after the population hit seven billion, showing the rapid rate at which the human population is growing. Currently, the global growth rate is 0.83%, and experts estimate that we will reach nine billion people in 15 years.
Population growth varies between countries. Nigeria is experiencing the largest increases in growth rate (2.4%) and fertility rate (5.14). However, Nigeria is also seeing population decreases via its migration rate, which is -0.28. Population growth is complicated, but it is clear that, on the whole, the global population will continue to grow.
Part of the reason behind this continual growth is the extension of global life expectancy, which has increased by 44 years since 1800. This increase is due to better global health and an aging population. Some countries experience longer life expectancies than others, but the overall expectancy continues to increase.
The UN has predicted that the world population will reach a peak of 10.4 billion in 2080, then begin to decline. Throughout the next 60 years, there will be benefits and drawbacks from a growing population. We will likely see an increase in the number of multinational corporations, increased diversity, and new technological advancements. However, a larger population also puts increased pressure on the planet’s resources and climate, and may also result in a slower increase in global GDP.
Society will change as the global population increases, and it is critical to understand this development.
