Current:Home > ContactPeak global population is approaching, thanks to lower fertility rates: Graphics explain -VisionFunds
Peak global population is approaching, thanks to lower fertility rates: Graphics explain
View
Date:2025-04-17 03:26:59
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! (921)
Related
- Taylor Swift makes surprise visit to Kansas City children’s hospital
- 'Scott Pilgrim Takes Off'—and levels up
- Pilot dies after small plane crashes in Plano, Texas shopping center parking lot: Police
- Feds push for FISA Section 702 wiretapping reauthorization amid heightened potential for violence
- What to know about Tuesday’s US House primaries to replace Matt Gaetz and Mike Waltz
- Susan Sarandon, Melissa Barrera dropped from Hollywood companies after comments on Israel-Hamas war
- Bob Vander Plaats, influential Iowa evangelical leader, endorses DeSantis
- Landslide leaves 3 dead and trail of damage in remote community of Wrangell, Alaska
- Civic engagement nonprofits say democracy needs support in between big elections. Do funders agree?
- Here's how much — or little — the typical American has in a 401(k)
Ranking
- Residents worried after ceiling cracks appear following reroofing works at Jalan Tenaga HDB blocks
- OpenAI reinstates Sam Altman as its chief executive
- Kim Kardashian’s SKIMS Just Launched Its Biggest Sale Ever: Keep Up Before Your Favorites Sell Out
- 4 Las Vegas teenagers charged with murder as adults in fatal beating of high school classmate
- NFL Week 15 picks straight up and against spread: Bills, Lions put No. 1 seed hopes on line
- New Philanthropy Roundtable CEO Christie Herrera ready to fight for donor privacy
- Broadway costuming legend accused of sexual assault in civil suit
- Another Ozempic side effect? Facing the holidays with no appetite
Recommendation
Kylie Jenner Shows Off Sweet Notes From Nieces Dream Kardashian & Chicago West
An American sexual offender convicted in Kenya 9 years ago is rearrested on new assault charges
Bob Vander Plaats, influential Iowa evangelical leader, endorses DeSantis
IRS delaying $600 payment reporting rule for PayPal, Venmo and more — again
Where will Elmo go? HBO moves away from 'Sesame Street'
Teachers and students grapple with fears and confusion about new laws restricting pronoun use
Atlanta officer used Taser on church deacon after he said he could not breathe, police video shows
'Fargo' Season 5: Cast, schedule, trailer, how to watch episode 3