The planet is still on track to nearly 10 billion people by 2050, yet most families are having fewer children than they want. Longer lives, lower fertility and uneven migration now demand a rethink of how societies support parents and care for an ageing population.
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) projects that global population will grow another 20-30% from 2020 to 2050 before starting to level off around 2100.
Behind the headline figure, average fertility has plunged from five children per woman in the 1950s to 2.3 today and is expected to reach the “replacement level” of 2.1 by mid-century.
Two-thirds of humanity already lives in low-fertility contexts, where economic pressure, costly housing and education, unequal care duties and patchy reproductive-health services keep birth rates below what couples say they would like.
Short-term fixes such as baby bonuses rarely work, UNFPA warns. Instead, evidence shows that affordable childcare, flexible work, shared parental leave, gender equality and secure incomes help families reach their desired size while preparing economies for older populations.
The report also said that countries which overhaul pensions, healthcare and workplace rules early can turn demographic change into an opportunity rather than a crisis.
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The World Food Programme has called for more food aid to be allowed in to Gaza to quell widespread starvation.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is highlighting Türkiye’s push for homegrown air defence, as the country develops new systems and deepens defence ties internationally.
The United Kingdom has summoned the Russian envoy over its latest attack on Kyiv which killed civilians and damaged buildings including the EU delegation and the British Council.
Pakistan’s eastern towns of Chiniot and Hafizabad are at risk of devastating floods if an irrigation barrage on a major upstream river collapses after torrential rains pushed it beyond capacity, officials warned on Thursday.
A powerful eruption at Japan’s Shinmoedake volcano sent an ash plume more than 3,000 metres high on Sunday morning, prompting safety warnings from authorities.
According to the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), a magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck the Oaxaca region of Mexico on Saturday.
The UK is gearing up for Exercise Pegasus 2025, its largest pandemic readiness test since COVID-19. Running from September to November, this full-scale simulation will challenge the country's response to a fast-moving respiratory outbreak.
Kuwait says oil prices will likely stay below $72 per barrel as OPEC monitors global supply trends and U.S. policy signals. The remarks come during market uncertainty fueled by new U.S. tariffs on India and possible sanctions on Russia.
The World Food Programme has called for more food aid to be allowed in to Gaza to quell widespread starvation.
The United Kingdom has summoned the Russian envoy over its latest attack on Kyiv which killed civilians and damaged buildings including the EU delegation and the British Council.
China plans to triple Artificial Intelligence (AI) chip production within a year, boosting self-sufficiency for firms such as Huawei, despite U.S. export curbs, reducing reliance on foreign suppliers and bolster domestic innovation, in a move that could reshape global tech competition.
The Kremlin said on Thursday it was still interested in pursuing peace talks over Ukraine, despite a large overnight Russian strike on Kyiv that Ukrainian officials said killed at least 15 people, including four children.
At least 15 people died and nine were injured after a building collapsed in Palghar, near Mumbai in India, with police arresting the builder on charges of negligence and attempted murder.
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