The world's population hits 8bn
Should we be concerned?
According to the United Nations, the planet's population is forecast to surpass 8bn. It is estimated to grow to 9.7bn in 2050 and 10.9bn by 2100. Since 1950, the rate of growth has radically increased. Many observers see this as potentially catastrophic with predicted mass famine and environmental disasters. While others are not so pessimistic, mainly due to smaller family sizes and the fertility rate, which has fallen from 3.3 in 1990 to 2.3 now, only slightly above the "replacement rate" of 2.1.
What can we expect in the future and should we be worried?