Current:Home > FinancePeak global population is approaching, thanks to lower fertility rates: Graphics explain-LoTradeCoin
Peak global population is approaching, thanks to lower fertility rates: Graphics explain
View Date:2024-12-24 00:51:15
A new report from United Nations shows the estimated global population will peak at 10.3 billion people in the mid-2080s - a significantly earlier timeline than what was predicted a few years prior.
Although the population is continuing to grow, the report found that such growth is slowing down. One indicator of this slow down is the drop in global fertility rates.
Fertility rate is the number of live births per woman at reproductive age. Globally, the rate is 2.25 births per woman - that is one child per woman less than three decades prior in 1990.
Here's how fertility rates compare across the globe:
Global fertility rate on a decline
Over half of all countries have a fertility rate less than 2.1 births per woman. That is below the replacement rate, or the number of children each woman needs to birth in order to prevent a decline in the global population.
Across the globe, one in four people lives in a country whose population has already peaked.
The total population has already peaked in 63 countries/ regions as of this year. Those countries include Germany, China and Russia, according to the report.
Which continents have the highest fertility rates?
Since the 1950's, Africa has had the highest fertility rate of any continent. As of 2023, the average fertility rate of African countries is 4.07 births per woman. Europe has the lowest fertility rate as of last year, with 1.4 births per woman.
Fertility rates in the U.S.
The fertility rate in the U.S. fell to the lowest level on record last year, with women in their 20s having fewer babies, researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said earlier this year.
Between 2022 and 2023, the fertility rate fell by 3%, a steeper drop than in previous years. In 2022, the rate held steady, and in 2021, the fertility rate increased by 1%, according to the CDC.
Overall, U.S. fertility rates have been declining for decades, and the drop in 2023 followed historical trends, researchers told USA TODAY.
More women who are having babies are doing so in their 30s, the researchers found. Among women 20 to 24 there was a 4% decline in births.
Over the past few decades, and especially since the great recession of 2008, economic factors and societal expectations have led more people to conclude it's normal to have kids in your 30s, said Allison Gemmill a professor of family and reproductive health at Johns Hopkins University.
UN report:World population projected to peak at 10.3 billion in 2080s
veryGood! (1)
Related
- U.S.-Mexico water agreement might bring relief to parched South Texas
- Gustavo Dudamel's new musical home is the New York Philharmonic
- 'Black on Black' celebrates Black culture while exploring history and racial tension
- 'Star Trek: Picard' soars by embracing the legacy of 'The Next Generation'
- New Orleans marks with parade the 64th anniversary of 4 little girls integrating city schools
- Folk veteran Iris DeMent shows us the 'World' she's been workin' on
- 'Wait Wait' for Jan. 28, 2023: With Not My Job guest Natasha Lyonne
- From elected official to 'Sweatshop Overlord,' this performer takes on unlikely roles
- 'He's driving the bus': Jim Harbaugh effect paying dividends for Justin Herbert, Chargers
- Classic rock guitar virtuoso Jeff Beck dies at 78
Ranking
- Fate of Netflix Series America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Revealed
- Jimmy Kimmel celebrates 20 years as a (reluctant) late night TV institution
- Secretary of State Antony Blinken on his musical alter ego
- 'Still Pictures' offers one more glimpse of writer Janet Malcolm
- Judge moves to slash $38 million verdict in New Hampshire youth center abuse case
- You will not be betrayed by 'The Traitors'
- Tatjana Patitz, one of the original supermodels of the '80s and '90s, dies at age 56
- With fake paperwork and a roguish attitude, he made the San Francisco Bay his gallery
Recommendation
-
Brianna LaPaglia Reacts to Rumors Dave Portnoy Paid Her $10 Million for a Zach Bryan Tell-All
-
Can you place your trust in 'The Traitors'?
-
New graphic novel explores the life of 'Queenie,' Harlem Renaissance mob boss
-
In bluegrass, as in life, Molly Tuttle would rather be a 'Crooked Tree'
-
Kyle Richards Shares an Amazing Bottega Dupe From Amazon Along With Her Favorite Fall Trends
-
Can you place your trust in 'The Traitors'?
-
Roald Dahl's publisher responds to backlash by keeping 'classic' texts in print
-
Famous poet Pablo Neruda was poisoned after a coup, according to a new report