World Population Prospects 2022

Why in the News?

Recently, the United Nations released the World Population Prospects 2022.

Key Findings

• The pace of growth is slowing down: The global population is expected to grow to around 8.5 billion in 2030, 9.7 billion in 2050 and 10.4 billion in 2100.
  • In 2020, the global growth rate fell under 1% per year for the first time since 1950.
• Rates of population growth across different countries and regions:
• • More than half of the projected increase in global population up to 2050 will be concentrated in just eight countries. The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines and the United Republic of Tanzania.
• Population of older persons: The share of the global population aged 65 years or above is projected to rise from 10% in 2022 to 16% in 2050.
• Drop in fertility: A sustained drop in fertility has led to an increased concentration of the population at working ages (between 25 and 64 years), creating an opportunity for accelerated economic growth per capita.
• International migration: For high-income countries between 2000 and 2020, the contribution of international migration to population growth (net inflow of 80.5 million) exceeded the balance of births over deaths (66.2 million).
• India’s specific: It has been projected that India will surpass China as the world’s most populous country in 2023.
  • The UN projections say that by 2050, India’s population will reach 1,668 million, far exceeding China’s declining population at 1,317 million.

Recommendations

• Need for skilling: For those already in the 25-64 age bracket, Skilling is the only way to ensure they are more productive and have better incomes.
• Provisioning of social security: The report recommends that countries with ageing populations should take steps to adapt public programmes to the growing numbers of older persons by establishing universal health care and long-term care systems.
• Countries needed to invest in the development of human capital by ensuring access to health care and quality education at all ages and by promoting opportunities for productive employment and decent work.

About World Population Prospects (WPP) UN has been publishing the WPP in a biennial cycle since 1951. This year is the 27th edition of the United Nations’ World Population Prospects.