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] The speed of ageing in Iran is truly remarkable, its population of 65 years and over will triple in 26 years (2023-2049) compared with 157 years in France, 100 years in the UK and 89 years in the US). PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] As stated by the WHO, Iran is one of the three countries with the most dramatic population changes, and along with Chile and China, will have more older people than the United States in near future. PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] By 2059, the population of both male and female eligible donors are projected to have decreased by approximately 50%, presenting difficulties in maintaining a stable blood supply. PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] Taiwan's total population is projected to decline substantially while population ageing accelerates, reshaping both the size and age structure of the potential donor pool. PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] Projections for 2060 suggest an inverted pyramid shape, with a high concentration of older age groups and a sharp reduction in younger cohorts, indicating both advanced population ageing and overall population decline. PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] Africa has 1.1 billion people, and over half of them are under the age of 25.By 2050, Africa's population is expected to double. National Day Calendar
• [New] The population of Americans age 65 and older is projected to grow from 65 million in 2026 to 82 million by 2050. PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] The global population could be facing a protein shortage so severe that meat production would need to grow by 50% or more over the next 25 years. FoodNavigator-USA.com
• [New] Inflation is expected to moderate below post-pandemic highs, while population growth - adding roughly 60 million people annually - continues to drive long-term food demand, particularly in Africa and parts of Asia. Ag Bull Trading
• [New] The population aged 65 and older is projected to grow 34.1% by 2036, driving demand across nearly every specialty. AMN Healthcare
• [New] By 2040 China's permanent resident population will approach 1.345 billion, with an urbanization rate of 78.6%. PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] By 2050, China's population aged 65 and above will reach 390 million, representing 24.64% of the global older population population, making China the country with the largest older population population worldwide. PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] The opportunity case is that the rebalancing of population across UK geographies supports more distributed economic development. Kalkine
• [New] Urban agriculture could support more resilient urban food systems, as cities face mounting pressures posed by a growing population, climate change, and food supply disruptions. CNS Media
• [New] A 2025 WHO report noted that people aged 60 and above already outnumber children under five and will make up 22% of the global population by 2050. FoodNavigator-Asia.com
• [New] With an ageing population and increasing burden of multimorbidity, dementia and cancer, the need for palliative care is projected to rise by 25% even by 2040 (an estimated 160,000/year more people needing palliative care in England and Wales alone). PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] Asia's urban population is projected to exceed 2.6 billion by 2030. Polaris
• [New] A significant portion of U.S. healthcare spending goes to administrative tasks that interoperability could automate or eliminate: re-entering patient demographics, chasing down records via fax, manually reconciling medication lists, and resubmitting claims with corrected data. Keragon
• [New] The population aged 65 and over is projected to grow from 21% to 23% of the total population by 2066, while 47.3% of Australians already live with one or more chronic diseases - up from 42.2% a decade earlier. openpr

Last updated: 14 May 2026