May 12, 2011
By Brigid Fitzgerald
Reading
As the world continues to add close to 80 million people each year,
high population growth is running up against the limits of our
finite planet, threatening global economic and political stability.
To stay within the bounds of the earth’s natural resources, the
world’s population will have to stabilize.
The United Nations’ recently revised “medium”
projection shows world population
exceeding 9 billion by 2045. In the “high” projection, which
assumes high levels of fertility, world population would top 10
billion by the same year. But spreading hunger and poverty, along
with the conflict and disease that come with them, could forcibly
curtail growth before we reach 9 billion. Alternatively, the “low”
projection suggests it is possible for world population to peak at
just over 8 billion around 2045 if we voluntarily make rapid
reductions in family size. For full report, visit the EPI
website.