Global Population To Hit 8.5B By 2030, With India To Surpass China As Most Populous Nation By 2022, U.N. Estimates Show

News outlets report on the U.N.’s 2015 Revision of World Population Prospects, published Wednesday.

The Guardian: Global population set to hit 9.7 billion people by 2050 despite fall in fertility
“Despite a continuing slowdown in the rate of population growth, it is ‘almost inevitable’ that the number of people on the planet will rise from 7.3 billion today to 9.7 billion in 2050, according to the latest U.N. projections…” (Jones/Anderson, 7/29).

New York Times: India Will Be Most Populous Country Sooner Than Thought, U.N. Says
“…The United Nations reported on Wednesday that India’s population will probably surpass China’s by 2022, not 2028, as the organization had forecast just two years ago…” (Gladstone, 7/29).

Reuters: India set to become world’s most populous country by 2022 — U.N.
“…Most growth will happen in developing regions, particularly Africa, according to the report World Population Prospects. The demographic forecasts are crucial for designing and implementing the new global development goals being launched later this year to replace the Millennium Development Goals…” (Batha, 7/29).

U.N. News Centre: U.N. projects world population to reach 8.5 billion by 2030, driven by growth in developing countries
“…Moreover, the report reveals that during the 2015-2050 period, half of the world’s population growth is expected to be concentrated in nine countries: India, Nigeria, Pakistan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Tanzania, the United States, Indonesia, and Uganda…” (7/29).

Washington Post: India will have the world’s largest population earlier than expected, U.N. says
“…Also highlighted in the report is a rise in global life expectancy at birth, from 67 years between 2000-2005 to 70 years in 2010-2015. That trend is expected to continue, reaching 77 years in 2045-2050 and then 83 years in 2095-2100…” (Katz, 7/30).

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