World population peaking in the mid-century of this century, will it begin to decline? U.S. Univ., July 16, 10:07

The world's population peaked in the middle of this century and began to decline, with birth rates falling to unsustainable levels in many countries by 2100, an American university announced.

A research group at the University of Washington in the United States predicted how the population of 195 countries and regions around the world will change from data such as birth rate, mortality rate, and population migration data.

As a result, the world's population will peak at 9.7 billion in 2064 and then decline to 8.8 billion by the end of the century, 2100.

Japan's population was estimated to have grown from about 128 million in 2017 to less than half by 2100, about 60 million.

Comparing the populations of 2017 and 2100, in China, which has the largest population at present, the population has almost halved to 730 million, which is the third largest, followed by India from the second to the first, and Nigeria from the seventh. It is expected to come in second place, and the population is projected to increase in African countries south of the Sahara Desert.

In addition, the proportion of elderly people aged 65 and over in the population is increasing, and it is said that the population is aging globally.

The study group pointed out that the reason for the decrease in the population is that women have more opportunities to receive education and have fewer children due to the spread of contraception. It is said that it will be 2.1 or less, which is necessary for maintaining the population in the area.

The research group points out that a large population change will have a serious impact on the growth of the world economy, saying that "it will be a policy issue to increase the population without compromising women's rights."

This study was published in the British medical journal Lancet.