World Population Data Sheet 2009 – 7 Billion People by 2011
August 13th, 2009 | Posted in Population Basics, PRB News, Youth
by Eric Zuehlke, editor
On August 12, PRB launched the annual World Population Data Sheet and accompanying Population Bulletin in Washington, DC, highlighting country, regional, and global population, health, and environment data and patterns. This year’s data sheet places special emphasis on youth.
The share of world’s youth population is growing in Africa and shrinking in More Developed Countries (MDCs). In 1950, 9 percent of the world’s youth lived in Africa and 30 percent lived in MDCs (Europe, North America, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan). By 2050, that share will change to 29 percent in Africa and 11 percent in the MDCs. “The great bulk of today’s 1.2 billion youth—nearly 90 percent—are in developing countries,” said Carl Haub, PRB senior demographer and co-author of the data sheet. Eight in 10 of those youth live in Africa and Asia. “During the next few decades, these young people will most likely continue the current trend of moving from rural areas to cities in search of education and training opportunities, gainful employment, and adequate health care.” With the right investments in health, education, agricutlural develomment, and entrepreneurship, a large youth population can be an opportunity for development and change. However, these investments are not being made in many countries. The fundamental question facing many developing countries is whether the needs of their large youth populations will be met. The answer to this question will largely determine the development, stability, and future of developing countries.
The data sheet shows just how stark the contrasts are between rich and poor countries in terms of population growth, life expectancy, income, and other indicators. Stay tuned for a webcast on prb.org of the data sheet launch at the National Press Club over the next week.
We welcome your comments, input, questions on our findings and the implications of this on the world’s future.
Here are just a few stories on the data sheet launch from around the world:
CNN: World population projected to reach 7 billion in 2011
The New York Times DotEarth: A billion teenagers, for better or worse
National Post: World population to hit 7 billion by 2011: report
Daily Dispatch (South Africa): Africa Will Battle for Resources
Xinhua (China): Global population to hit 7 billion in 2011: US report
Pravda (Russia): Russian Population To Reduce to 110 Million by 2050
The Sofia Echo (Bulgaria): World population to reach 9.4 billion by 2050, report says
The Sun (Malaysia): US teen birth rates higher than rest of developed world
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August 13th, 2009 at 8:07 pm
It is hard to fathom what 7 billion people means. How much does the world population increase in a day? A week? A month? A year?
Read this, it will just blow you away. It is posed as a ‘challenge’ but the solution is posted at the bottom:
http://blogontheuniverse.org/2009/06/02/weekly-challenge-2-people-people-everywhere/
Then think of the resources that need to be made available to provide basic needs.
Jeff Goldstein
Center Director
National Center for Earth and Space Science Education
August 14th, 2009 at 2:57 pm
Hi Jeff. Population growth is indeed a cause for concern in terms of resource management and environmental degradation. But it seems to me that it’s also important to recognize how factors such as urbanization, increasing consumption as standards of living (for some) increase, declining household size, and aging will affect the availability of resources.
Some have argued that agriculture yields could still increase greatly, in a kind of second “green revolution” using available technology: http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200909/map-food
The question is, will it be enough?
By the way, you may want to check out 2009 Population Clock to see how much population is increasing down to the second: http://www.prb.org/Articles/2009/worldpopulationclock2009.aspx