World population

1. The world’s population is more than 8 billion
people today, and could be more than 1 billion by
2050.

2. The world has added 1.5 billion people
since the ICPD, and continues to grow…
0
2
4
6
8
10
1950 1970 1990 2010 2030 2050
Population
(billions)
5.7 billion
in 1994
7.2 billion
in 2014
9.6 billion
in 2050
2.5 billion
in 1950

3. …though the pace of world population growth
is slowing
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
1950 1970 1990 2010 2030 2050
Average
annual
rate
of
change
in
population
(%)
Peak of 2.1% in 1968
1.4% in 1994
1.1% in 2014
0.5% in 2050

4. Future population growth will be
concentrated in Asia and Africa…
Africa
Asia
Latin America and the Caribbean
Europe, Northern America and Oceania
2014

5. …because fertility rates in Africa and Asia tend
to be higher than in other regions

6. Many low fertility populations are expected to
experience population decline in the coming decades

9. The “unmet need” for contraceptives remains
high, despite family planning successes
Only a few
countries
achieved a
50% reduction
in unmet need
since 1994
0
5
10
15
20
25
Unmet
need
for
family
planning
(per
cent
of
married
or
in-union
women)
World
Africa
Oceania
N. America
Asia
LAC
Europe

11. Globally, child mortality has fallen by more
than 40% since the ICPD…
…but a child
born in Africa
is still 14 times
more likely to
die before age
5 than a child
born in Europe
or Northern
America
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
Deaths
under
age
5
per
1,000
live
births
World
Africa
Oceania
N. America
Asia
LAC
Europe

12. Progress in reducing mortality during the working and
reproductive ages has been slower…
…largely due to the
challenges of
HIV/AIDS, maternal
mortality, road
accidents, and
premature
mortality from
noncommunicable
diseases
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
Probability
of
dying
between
age
15
and
age
60
(per
1,000)
World
Africa
Oceania
N. America
Asia
LAC
Europe
1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

13. The world’s population is ageing
Population (millions)
Males Females
2050
Population (millions)
Males Females
2014
Population (millions)
Males Females
1994

15. Globally, the share of older persons in the total
population increased from 9% in 1994 to 12% in
2014, and is expected to reach 21% by 2050
0
5
10
15
20
25
1950 1970 1990 2010 2030 2050
Percentage
of
population
Under age 5
Aged 60 years
or over

17. The world is becoming more and more urbanized. More than
half of the world’s population lives in urban areas, and
almost all future population growth will occur in cities.
Photo: Alicia Nijdam (2008) “Rocinha Favela”

18. In 2007, the world’s population became mostly urban
for the first time. By 2050, two-thirds of people are
expected to live in urban settlements
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
1950 1970 1990 2010 2030 2050
Population
(billions)
Rural
Urban

19. Most megacities and large cities are located in
the global South
The boundaries and names shown and the designations used on this map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the United Nations.
Nearly 90% of urban growth to 2050 will be absorbed by urban settlements
in Africa and Asia

20. International migration has increased in
demographic significance and development impact
232 million
people
worldwide
resided
outside their
country of
origin in 2013
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
1990 2000 2013
International
migrants
(millions)
Africa
Oceania
Northern America
Asia
LAC
Europe

21. South-South migration is as common as South-North
migration
South
South
North
North
South: 82.3 million (36%)
North: 81.9 million (35%)
North: 53.7 million (23%)
South: 13.7 million (6%)
International migrants by origin and destination, 2013

22. 48 per cent of the world’s 232 million
international migrants are women.

23. People are at the heart of sustainable development…
…and population trends shape the global context of
the post-2015 UN development agenda.
Social
Economic
Environment

24. “There are very few factors that will
shape the future global development
situation as fundamentally as
population patterns and trends. At the
same time, the world is an increasingly
complex place, with Governments
facing quite different demographic
opportunities and challenges.”
-ASG Thomas Gass
For more information, visit:
unpopulation.org