Earth gets its breathing space

For 50 years, the global population boom has concerned everyone from politicians to environmentalists… because our planet does not contain infinite resources for the support of humankind.

Yet, a major new study predicts that, over the next 20 years, the Earth’s population will be 8.8 billion – two billion fewer than current United Nations projections. The study forecasts that 183 of 195 countries will see their populations fall below the “replacement threshold” needed to maintain population levels.

Some countries will see their human numbers plunge by half. These are dramatic changes – especially considering the comparatively short time scale when compared to overall human history – and are due, in the main, to declining fertility rates and ageing populations in most of the developed world. That, in itself, is a testament to the fact that life is improving for human beings: birth rates decline as income levels increase and people live longer because of advances in medicine.

The challenge for Africa, which already has the world’s youngest population, will be heightened by the fact that its population will almost treble to three billion by 2100. The upside for the planet, though, is that slowing growth of humans will give Earth’s resources a bit of a breathing space.

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