The Population Twist

How old do you think the average world’s population to be? The answer might surprise.

In the fabulous fifties the global population was some 2.5 billion people running around this blue planet. In 2021 the population exploded more than three time to 8 billion. Wow, that is a big bountiful bunch of babies.

But there’s a problem. Child mortality rates are concerning.

So, what drove the population? In 2018 for the first time in human history oldies took over. There were more folks over the age of sixty-four than there were under the age of five. And projections suggest by the end of this century there will be fewer babies born than today.

And it seems money makes the ageing go round. For example, Nigeria has a younger age group than Japan. The lower a country’s income, the lower the age group. People in North America, Europe, and East Asia including Australia look forward to a ripe old age, longer than poorer nations.

What does it mean for the future? You would expect countries with a younger, more productive population, to have an advantage in economic growth. There are a few road blocks to this. India has a youthful workforce but unemployment, education, and health problems stop the nation from achieving accelerated economic growth.

Source: Hannah Ritchie and Max Roser