World Population Prospects 2019

Recently, United Nations published a report named World Population Prospects 2019 providing a comprehensive overview of global demographic patterns and prospects.

• It is been published by the Population Division of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs.
• The World Population Prospects 2019 estimates are based on all available sources of data on population size and levels of fertility, mortality and international migration for 235 countries or areas.
• The study stated that the world’s population could reach its peak around the end of the current century, at a level of nearly 11 billion.
• The report also confirmed that the world’s population is growing older due to increasing life expectancy and falling fertility levels, and that the number of countries experiencing a reduction in population size is growing.
• The resulting changes in the size, composition and distribution of the world’s population have important consequences for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the globally agreed targets for improving economic prosperity and social well-being while protecting the environment.

Key findings of the report

•  The world’s population continues to increase, but growth rates vary greatly across regions.
• Nine countries will make up more than half the projected population growth between now and 2050
• Rapid population growth presents challenges for sustainable development
• In some countries, growth of the working-age population is creating opportunities for economic growth
• Globally, women are having fewer babies, but fertility rates remain high in some parts of the world
• People are living longer, but those in the poorest countries still live 7 years less than the global average
• The world’s population is growing older, with persons over age 65 being the fastest-growing age group
• Falling proportions of working-age people are putting pressure on social protection systems
• A growing number of countries are experiencing a reduction in population size
• Migration has become a major component of population change in some countries

Key findings on India by the report

• India is expected to show the highest population increase between now and 2050, overtaking China as the world’s most populous country, by around 2027
• India, along with eight other countries, will make up over half of the estimated population growth between now and 2050.
• The nine countries expected to show the biggest increase are India, Nigeria and Pakistan, followed by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Indonesia, Egypt and the United States of America. 
• Health experts have called for more investment in healthcare sector in India
• The employment rates are going down in India and with more younger people, India wont’ be able to absorb them in workforce and won’t be able to reap the benefits of its demographic dividend.