Earth contains nearly 6,5 billion inhabitants, more than half of them living in just six countries, according to a report Thursday from the French Institute for Demographic Studies (IFED).
Of every 100 people in the world, 61 live in Asia, 14 in Africa, 11 in Europe, nine in Latin America, five in North America and less than one in Oceania, according to the IFED, which hosts an international conference on world demography in the French city of Tours next month.
Out of every 100 babies born today, 57 are born in Asia, 26 in Africa, nine in Latin America, five in Europe, three in North America and less than one in Oceania.
– Right now there are 6,477 billion human beings. The 6,5 billionth will be born in Asia some time in December, said Catherine Rollet who is organising the conference.
The six most populous countries – China, India, the US, Indonesia, Brazil and Pakistan – contain between them 3,3 billion inhabitants.
Life expectancy is longest in Japan at 82 years, followed by Iceland and Switzerland at 80. But people can expect to live just 36 years in Zimbabwe, 38 in Zambia and 40 in Malawi – mainly as a result of the AIDS epidemic in those southern African states.
Population growth has slowed down since the 1960s but the number of humans will probably increase to between nine and 10 billion by 2050, Rollet said.
– Three billion more is a lot but it is manageable. The increase will be biggest in some Asian countries and above all Africa, she noted.
– Agronomists say the Earth has the potential to support many more inhabitants – up to 15 billion. The question is how to share out the resources rather than whether we can produce enough, Rollet concluded.
Kilde: The Push Journal
