According to a 2017 United Nations report, the Earth will get a lot more crowded in the next few decades. The report predicts that the world’s population will balloon from 7.6 billion people to 9.8 billion by 2050, and more than half of that growth will take place in Africa. The projections also show that Nigeria will overtake the United States around that time to become the third most-populous country, behind India and China.
India expected to become No. 1:
- The report by the Department of Economic and Social Affairs' Population Division forecasts that the global population will increase to 8.6 billion by 2030, 9.8 billion in 2050, and 11.2 billion in 2100.
- The highest growth rates are expected in India, Nigeria, Congo, Pakistan, Ethiopia, Tanzania, United States, Uganda, and Indonesia. Europe is expected to see a population decline.
- The projections also forecast that China will be replaced by India as the world's most populous country around 2024.