Global Scans · Population · Weekly Summary

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WHAT'S NEXT?: The global population is expected to reach 8.5 billion in 2030, up 1 billion from 2016. Western economies are declining in numbers and emerging economies witnessing burgeoning growth.

• [New] The non-surface population will live in floating cities, underground, on the bottom of the ocean, in orbiting space stations around Earth, the Moon, and Mars, as well as on the surfaces of the Moon and Mars. TouchstoneTruth.com
• [New] By 2050, Africa is expected to be home to nearly 59% of the world's working-age population. IDRC - International Development Research Centre
• [New] In a depopulating America, the number of seniors will continue to climb while the working-age population supporting them dwindles - mismatching trends all but certain to hasten the welfare state's crisis. American Enterprise Institute - AEI
• [New] Increasing Population and Food Demand: With an expected population surpassing 8.5 billion by 2030, maximizing productivity via data-driven farming is non-negotiable. Farmonaut
• [New] By 2055, the U.S. population will be about 367 million, up from 350 million today. McAlvany Financial Group
• [New] Europe is expected to have the highest exposure of its senior population compared to other continents. Nature
• [New] The combined effects of rising life expectancy and the long-term impact of various birth restriction policies like one-child policy in China, are expected to result in a significant increase in the elderly population, coupled with a decline in the younger cohorts. Nature
• [New] While the future trends in the young population show considerable spatial variation, the senior population (age > 65 years) is projected to increase significantly almost worldwide. Nature
• [New] The global population faces escalating risks from compound climate extremes, but their future trajectories and differential impacts across age groups and regions remain unclear. Nature
• [New] By the mid-2030s, the global population aged 80 years and older is projected to reach 265 million, surpassing the number of infants under 1 year of age. PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] Africa's population will reach 1.4 billion in 2025 and 2.5 billion by 2050. Indepth Research Institute
• [New] The geriatric population across the globe is estimated to reach at 2 billion by 2050. Precedence Research
• [New] To fulfil the food safety for projected population of 9.1 billion in 2050, animal products should be increased to 465 million tonnes. PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] The proportion of permanent residents aged 20-64 in the total population is expected to decrease from 62% in 2018 to 55% in 2050. / Switzerland PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] With the global elderly population expected to reach 2.1 billion by 2050, there is an urgent need for a well-defined framework that integrates lifespan, healthspan, and economic sustainability. PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] The global population is expected to increase by 1.8 billion by 2050, which means the world's farmers will have to increase total annual grain production by almost 1 billion tons and total meat production by more than 200 million tons. American Farm Bureau Federation
• [New] Africa faces the dual challenges of having the highest rate of population growth compared to the rest of the world - expected to increase from 926 million to 2.2 billion by 2050 - in addition to being the continent most vulnerable to impacts from climate change. GMO Answers
• [New] By 2050, nearly 22% of the global population will be over 60 and close to 80% of older adults will live in low- and middle-income countries. Yahoo Finance
• [New] In terms of satellite quantity optimization, the OSSMC will stabilize at approximately 48,000 satellites by 2036, while still delivering customized, real-time services to a global population of 8 billion. EurekAlert!
• [New] Nigeria in particular, with its young and vibrant population, is projected to become the third most populous country in the world by 2050, with a population surpassing 450 million, up from 223 million today. The Population Project
• [New] On one hand, India will continue to see robust growth, reaching a population of 1.5 billion by 2050, surpassing China as the most populous country in the world. The Population Project

Last updated: 18 September 2025