United Nations presented a report on Monday stating that the world population is predicted to grow to 11 billion by 2100. By the end of the century, Healthline learned that it will be highly contributed by the fivefold population increase in the sub-Saharan regions of Africa.
The increase of population in Africa is the primary driver of world population growth. Democratic Republic of Congo, Niger, Somalia, Uganda and other least developed areas in Africa are expected to have the massive increase — from the current 1.2 billion to 5.6 billion.
The overpopulation problems will continue in the coming decades due to persistent high levels of fertility, unless an unprecedented fertility decline will happen in those parts of Africa.
Currently, Asia is considered as the overpopulated continent. The population will continue to grow until 2050, but will slightly decline toward the second half of the century, according to Geek Snack.
China and India will remain as the largest countries in the world with a combined population of 2.7 billion, but India is expected to beat China within seven years. Meanwhile, in the United States, the population is expected to grow to about 450 million from 325 million by the end of the century, which is considereded a relatively slow rate.
John R. Wilmot, director of the United Population Division, said that the rapid world population growth in countries with high-fertility can worsen the existing problems with the environment, such as resource scarcity and pollution.
In addition to this problem are the lagging of investments in health, education and infrastructure of the government; maternal and child mortality for the health aspect; unemployment, low wages and poverty for the economy and political unrest and crime for the social aspect.
Meanwhile, developing countries with young populations but lower fertility rates are facing significant population aging before the end of 2011.
These countries, therefore, need to make an investment in social security, pensions and health care for the older population in the future, as per Eureka Alert.
