World population projected to reach 7 billion in 2011
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August 12, 2009 -- Updated 1656 GMT (0056 HKT)
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The world's population is forecast to hit 7 billion in 2011, the vast majority of its growth coming in developing and, in many cases, the poorest nations, a report released Wednesday said.
A staggering 97 percent of global growth over the next 40 years will happen in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, according to the Population Reference Bureau's 2009 World Population Data Sheet.
"The great bulk of today's 1.2 billion youth -- nearly 90 percent -- are in developing countries," said Carl Haub, a co-author of the report. Eight in 10 of those youth live in Africa and Asia.
"During the next few decades, these young people will most likely continue the current trend of moving from rural areas to cities in search of education and training opportunities, gainful employment, and adequate health care," Haub continued, calling it one of the major social questions of the next few decades.
In the developed world, the United States and Canada will account for most of the growth -- half from immigration and half from a natural increase in the population -- births minus deaths, according to the report.
High fertility rates and a young population base in the developing world will fuel most of the growth, especially in Africa, where women often give birth to six or seven children over a lifetime, the report says. The number is about two in the United States and 1.5 in Canada.
A stark contrast can be drawn between Uganda and Canada, which currently have about 34 million and 31 million residents, respectively. By 2050, Canada's population is projected to be 42 million, while Uganda's is expected to soar to 96 million, more than tripling.
"Even with declining fertility rates in many countries, world population is still growing at a rapid rate," said Bill Butz, president of the bureau. "The increase from 6 billion to 7 billion is likely to take 12 years, as did the increase from 5 billion to 6 billion. Both events are unprecedented in world history."
By 2050, India is projected to be the world's most populous nation at 1.7 billion, overtaking current leader China, which is forecast to hit 1.4 billion. The United States is expected to reach 439 million for No. 3 on the list.
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How much human population can the Earth hold?
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Nature has its own way of balancing any imbalances.
Sad to say, it will not be a nice sight to watch when that happens.
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Mankind may be winning the battles but Mother Nature is going to win the War.
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Originally posted by charlize:
Nature has its own way of balancing any imbalances.
Sad to say, it will not be a nice sight to watch when that happens.
Guess I may not see the grand finale.
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Maybe some meteorite will slam into earth and just wipe us out just like that.
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Originally posted by charlize:
Maybe some meteorite will slam into earth and just wipe us out just like that.
That's a wild thought.
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Originally posted by Stevenson101:
Mankind may be winning the battles but Mother Nature is going to win the War.
Mother of all Battles.
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Seven billion?
More damage to mother earth! -
existingly the pace we add pollutants and "de-greening" has drawn cracks into the ecosystem.
We feel it...the weather. Can we survive without air-con?
One fine day, the earth will just crack...
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I imagine that the ice caps suddenly cracked up and water level risen by 100m in a matters of hours.
Will Singapore be around?
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time to cull for the sake of my planet..
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great... at least when the alien come... there is lesser chance that i will b kidnap and have my arse probed....
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Let us colonise other planets.
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It's not the one from the third world countires that should be reduced. It's those from the first world countries with their seemingly so called "inventions" that is killing the earth.
I bet the earth would rather hold 7 billion people from the third world countries than 1 billion people from the first world countries. At least they don't pollute that much. Lol.
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Originally posted by mamamamama:
It's not the one from the third world countires that should be reduced. It's those from the first world countries with their seemingly so called "inventions" that is killing the earth.
I bet the earth would rather hold 7 billion people from the third world countries than 1 billion people from the first world countries. At least they don't pollute that much. Lol.
hmmmm I think that is an argument crop by less developed countries and greenpeace during WTO on externalities when negociation on Trade.
The point about who pollute more I think eventually even out, given the increase in population in less develop country.... social migration toward urban biase, the increase demand of "bad" environmental goods in less develop countries such as coal energy, unregulated discharged of waste water vs a higher regulated industrizes nature of developed countries.
At the end of the day high population will expedite the pollution timeline, extinct habitate that help to recycle environment.
The only way is to drop a Nuke Bomb to reduce population in a short period of time.
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My ark will be ready by then~~
so i should be pretty safe~~
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7 billion? Not a problem. Overpopulation isn't something that a little
can't solve!
Edited to add: I see Arapahoe beat me to it!
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yep thats the way to go burn up all bacteria infestation on this planet and start cleaning up.
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Hence, astronomers have a reason to investigate Mars.
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Why Mars?
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i think he is trying to make the connection between why mars became a desert.....
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lol...
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Red Mushroom Wow
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This is why we Singaporeans should start property investment u see....