For subscribers
Population decline isn’t the problem. Hungry kids are
Is there a right number of humans? Instead of doomsday predictions, focus instead on helping people have the number of children they want.
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Policymakers should focus on the fact that too many children worldwide aren’t getting adequate nutrition, says the writer.
PHOTO: UNSPLASH
F.D. Flam
Follow topic:
Humanity is about to turn a major population corner, according to a new estimate. A recent article in the Lancet predicts that by 2030, we’ll no longer be reproducing fast enough to replace ourselves.
We aren’t about to go extinct, but this is an unexpected trajectory. As recently as 2017, the United Nations predicted human numbers wouldn’t peak until 2100 when we’d reach more than 11 billion people. According to the new estimate, our numbers could rise from the current 8.1 billion to a maximum of just 9.5 billion before declining by the early 2060s.
