Global Scans · Population · Weekly Summary

WHAT'S NEXT?: The global population is expected to reach 8.5 billion in 2030, up 1 billion from 2016. Western economies are declining in numbers and emerging economies witnessing burgeoning growth.

• [New] By 2030, for the first time in history, the U.S. population will be made up of more older Americans than people 18 and under. Mexico Star
• [New] Using the high-variant projection, which assumes slower fertility decline, world population will reach 10.6 billion in 2050 and 12 billion in 2065. PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] Using the low-variant projection, which assumes faster fertility decline, world population reaches a maximum of 8.1 billion in 2046, then falls to 6.2 billion by 2100. PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] An undeniable demographic shift will push over 14.8% of ASEAN's population past the age of 60 by 2030, with the total number of senior citizens expected to reach 127 million by 2035. Philippine Information Agency
• [New] In coming decades, China's working-age population is expected to contract and the dependency ratio, which is the ratio of non-working-age to working-age population, is expected to increase substantially. Reserve Bank of Australia
• [New] The Middle East's share of the global ultra-wealthy population has risen from 2.4% to 3.1% over the past five years, while Saudi Arabia is forecast to record the world's fastest growth in billionaires through 2031. Euronews
• [New] Japan's working-age population is projected to decline by 31% between 2023 and 2060. Memeburn
• [New] Climate change is a major threat to the small-scale fishing communities, particularly in South Asia, a region characterized by widespread coastlines, extreme population density, and high dependence on marine resources for food, income, and employment. Ocean Acidification
• [New] Global meat consumption is projected to increase by 13%, with 45% of global consumption growth occurring in upper-middle-income countries as a result of rapid population and income growth. Frontiers
• [New] The world's population is aging rapidly, reshaping how healthcare systems, corporations and investors approach long-term growth opportunities. Yahoo Finance
• [New] The U.S. population will continue ageing, on average, over the 2026-2056 period, with the number of people aged 65 and older expected to increase at an average annual rate of 1.6% through 2036. Yahoo Finance
• [New] As expected, in South European countries and also in the United Kingdom where a parallel and partly duplicate system exists between private and public provisions, the private sector is used by the more affluent population, who may experience lower waiting times and better amenities. PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] Population: ~234,000 individuals globally Share of Wealth: 34% of total HNWI wealth Growth Rate: The UHNW population is projected to grow 31% by 2030. X1 Wealth
• [New] An increasing population and rising income causes global consumption of energy to increase by 15% from 2021 to around 660 quadrillion Btu in 2050. Precedence Research
• [New] The population aged 60 and over is expected to exceed 400 million by around 2035, accounting for more than 30% of the total population, marking China's entry into the severe ageing stage. Exoskeleton Report
• [New] Approximately 20% of the world population will be constituted by older adults, with 2.1 billion people across the globe. LWW
• [New] More extreme opinions are prone to trigger opinion distancing in recipients, which could spark cascades of opinion shifts in the general population leading to global polarization. Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation
• [New] The elderly share of India's population could double to over 20% by 2050, making senior care a major policy challenge. Anantam IAS
• [New] India is facing a rapid demographic transition, with the elderly population projected to reach 347 million by 2050, making up roughly 20% of the total population. Anantam IAS
• [New] The U.S. population will grow from 343.5 million in 2026 to 371.5 million in 2056, a gain of 28.0 million. Penn Wharton Budget Model
• [New] The annual U.S. population growth rate will fall from 0.47% in 2026 to 0.08% in 2056. Penn Wharton Budget Model
• [New] The urgency to find sustainable systems to protect and fortify trees in cities will only increase: The proportion of the world's population living in urban areas is set to rise to 68% by 2050, up from 55% in 2018. Reasons to be Cheerful

Last updated: 11 June 2026