Highlights of World Demographic Trends since Cairo

John R. Wilmoth, United Nations Population Division

The state of the world’s population today is one of unprecedented diversity and change. World population reached 7.2 billion in 2014 and is expected to increase by more than two billion by 2050. While the populations of Africa and Asia will continue to increase, many countries are expected to decline in size due to persistent below-replacement fertility. Despite growth in the number of large cities, about half of all urban-dwellers reside in smaller cities and towns. The number of young people has grown rapidly but is expected to stabilize in the future. In contrast, the number and proportion of older persons are expected to continue rising. Targets for higher life expectancy, and lower infant, child and maternal mortality, will not be achieved by many countries despite overall improvements in health and survival. These trends present both challenges and opportunities for the formulation and implementation of the post-2015 development agenda.