The UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs released an annual report on Thursday named "World Population Prospects 2024," detailing 10 key takeaways after its analyses of the world's population data. 

It concluded that the demographic landscape has evolved greatly, with rapid fertility declines in populous countries likely causing the global population to peak within this century (80% probability), contrasting with a decade ago when the probability was around 30%.

1. Within the current century, the population of the globe is probably going to peak.

The population of the globe is predicted to increase for a further 50 to 60 years, peaking at 10.3 billion in the mid-2080s, up from 8.2 billion in 2024. It is anticipated to peak and then begin to decline, eventually reaching 10.2 billion by the end of the century. 

2. Approximately one in four individuals worldwide live in a nation whose population has reached its peak.

The population peaked before 2024 in 63 nations and regions, making up 28% of the world's total population in 2024. The population of 48 countries and regions is expected to reach its peak between 2025 and 2054, accounting for 10% of the global population in 2024. The population of the remaining 126 nations and regions is probably going to keep increasing through 2054, maybe peaking later in the century or even after 2100. 

3. On average, women currently have one fewer child than they did in 1990.

As of now, the global fertility rate is at 2.3 live births per woman, plunging from 3.3 births in 1990, and more than half of all countries and areas worldwide have fertility below 2.1 births per woman – the level needed to maintain a constant size for a long term without migration.

4. Early childbearing harmfully impacts the young mother and her child.

A significant number of babies—4.7 million, or roughly 3.5% of all babies born globally in 2024—were born to women under the age of 18, and 340,000 were born to girls under the age of 15. These births had detrimental effects on the health and well-being of the young mothers, as well as their offspring. 

Investing in the education of young people, particularly girls, and delaying marriage and first pregnancy until later in nations where these significant life events typically happen early can benefit women's health, educational gains, and participation in the labor force.

5. Global life expectancy is increasing once more in the wake of the COVID-19 epidemic.

In 2024, the average life expectancy at birth worldwide was 73.3 years, up 8.4 years from 1995. The global average lifetime is predicted to reach 77.4 years in 2054 with further mortality reductions. In almost every nation and region, life expectancy has recovered to pre-COVID-19 levels since 2022.

6. The momentum from previous expansion will be the primary cause of the projected increase in world population through the middle of the century.

If the number of births per woman drops to the replacement level, the number of women between the ages of 15 and 49 is expected to increase from about 2 billion in 2024 to a peak of about 2.2 billion in the late 2050s. Due to historical population growth, the youthful age structure of today will account for 79% of the population growth through 2054, or an additional 1.4 billion people.

7. Countries with young populations and declining fertility have a limited time to benefit economically from an increasing concentration of population in the working ages.

Through 2054, the working-age population (between 20 and 64 years old) will increase in nearly 100 countries or areas, creating a window of opportunity known as the demographic dividend. Countries must make investments in infrastructure, healthcare, and education in order to take advantage of this chance. They must also enact reforms to increase employment and boost government effectiveness.

8. People 65 years of age or older will outnumber children under 18 by 2080.

It is predicted that by the late 2070s, there will be more people over 65 in the world—2.2 billion—than there are children under the age of 18. By the middle of the 2030s, there will be 265 million people over 80 than there are babies under the age of one. Nations with more developed demographic aging processes are urged to think about utilizing technology to boost output across all ages. In addition, they must encourage intergenerational workforces, provide chances for retraining and lifelong learning, and lengthen the working lives of individuals who are able and desirous of doing so.

9. Immigration will be the primary factor driving future growth for certain populations.

Due to persistently low birth rates and an older age structure, immigration will likely reduce the population loss in 50 nations and regions. Nonetheless, emigration is projected to contribute to population declines through 2054 in 14 nations and regions that already have extremely low fertility.

10. Gender equality and women's empowerment work against either rapid population expansion or decline.

Access to sexual and reproductive healthcare for women and adolescents is restricted by discrimination and legal obstacles. Women's education, economic involvement, and childbearing can all be improved by raising the legal marriage age and incorporating family planning into basic healthcare. 

Policies that support affordable, high-quality childcare, paid parental leave, flexible work schedules, comprehensive care for an aging population, and an equal division of household and caregiving responsibilities between men and women can all help women participate more fully in the workforce, support families, encourage childbearing, and boost economic security for both sexes as they age. These policies are especially important in nations where population peaks have already occurred or are expected to occur within the next three decades.