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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China has accused foreign intelligence agencies of smuggling rare earth metals out of the country by manipulating shipping logistics and recruiting insiders, according to a statement from the Ministry of State Security.
An explosion at a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department training facility has reportedly claimed the lives of three deputies, according to local media reports on Friday. However, officials have not yet confirmed any casualties.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a phone call on Friday to discuss regional developments, with particular focus on the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Syria, according to a statement released by the Kremlin press service.
The world’s biggest dance music festival faces an unexpected setback as a fire destroys its main stage, prompting a last-minute response from organisers determined to keep the party alive in Boom, Belgium.
China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations will send an upgraded ‘version 3.0’ free-trade agreement to their heads of government for approval in October, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Saturday after regional talks in Kuala Lumpur.
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Israeli researchers have unveiled an artificial intelligence tool that can determine a person’s true biological age from tiny DNA samples with remarkable precision.
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The Trump administration has completed a controversial prisoner swap with Venezuela, returning around 250 deported Venezuelans in exchange for 10 American detainees.
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