Earth’s population to exceed scientist expectations and hit 12bn

Humanity is continuing to grow and the Earth’s population could hit 12bn by 2100, according to a new prediction by experts.

The rising population could worsen problems such as climate change, food shortages, infectious disease, and poverty, scientists warn.

Previous estimates have suggested that after peaking at around 9bn by the end of the century, the global population would level off or even decline.

Prof Adrian Raftery, of the University of Washington, said: “We found there’s a 70% probability the world population will not stabilise this century.

“Population, which had sort of fallen off the world’s agenda, remains a very important issue.”

Currently, the Earth’s population is 7.2bn.

The team used advanced statistical techniques to analyse UN data and estimate future demographic trends affecting fertility, life expectancy, and migration.

The projection shows an 80% likelihood that the global population will increased to between 9.6bn and 12.3bn by 2100.

Most of the growth is expected to take place in Africa, where the population is expected to quadruple from around 1bn today to 4bn by the end of the century.

Reductions in the death toll from HIV/Aids are said to be another contributing factor to the African trend.

Other parts of the world will see less change, according to the research in the journal Science. Asia’s population, now at 4.4bn, is predicted to peak at around 5bn in 2050 and then begin to decline.

North American, European, Latin American, and Caribbean populations are likely to stay below 1bn in each region.