The world population increases by about 83 million people every year. Right now, there are about 7.6 billion people around the world. That means there are over half a billion more people in the world than when we reached the 7 billion mark in October 2011 – less than 7 years ago. If populations continue to increase as they are now, there will be about 10 billion people worldwide by 2050.
Of the 10 most populous countries, Nigeria has the fastest growing population. Nigeria is currently the 7th most populated country in the world, but that will quickly change. Nigeria has a growth rate of 2.6% a year – the highest among the 10 most populous countries in the world. By 2050, its population will more than double from 195 million to an estimated 410 million.
Life expectancy is increasing and becoming more universal. In 2000, the global life expectancy was 67 years old. Fifteen years later, that number grew to 71. Life expectancy is expected to continue growing, reaching 77 years old by 2050. As global life expectancy increases, there will also be less variation between different places in the world. Life expectancy in Africa was 60 years old in 2015, compared to 79 years in Europe. However, life expectancy is growing faster in Africa, meaning that the difference will become less drastic by 2050.
Millennials make up about 27% of the world’s population. Millennials, roughly defined as people born between 1981 and 1997, make up a large portion of the world population. In fact, about 2 billion people worldwide are part of this generation. About 71% of millennials live in Asia or sub-Saharan Africa.