The global population is estimated to be 8.156 billion at the end of 2024. This marks an increase of approximately 82 million people compared to one year ago, the German Foundation for World Population (DSW) reported.
The world population first surpassed 8 billion in November 2022. Around one year later, in December 2023, this figure stood at 8.083 billion and has further risen by around 82 million in the past year to 8.156 billion.
In a year, the global population has grown by nearly the equivalent of Germany's population – currently around 84 million.
The absolute number of people continues to rise, though the rate of increase is slowing, the DSW explained. Currently, women worldwide have an average of 2.2 children.
Population growth is especially rapid in Africa, where the population is expected to more than double over the next two decades. By the end of the century, Africa's population is projected to grow from the current 1.2 billion to 3.4 billion.
Meanwhile, projections from Eurostat suggest the European Union (EU) could see its population shrink by 6%, or 27.3 million people, by 2100. In Belgium, the overall number of inhabitants is expected to rise until 2070, but at a slower pace than before. From the late 2040s, population growth is only predicted in the Flemish Region.
Peaking population
Globally, the United Nations (UN) predicts that the population could reach 9 billion by 2037, and even 10 billion by the second half of this century. The DSW projects that the world population will peak at around 10 billion in the mid-2080s.
"After this peak, a declining birth rate combined with an increasing number of deaths will lead to an ageing and then shrinking global population," the foundation states.
Education and sexual education are essential for girls and young women to decide "when, with whom, and how many children they will have," the foundation said. "When women have equal rights, access to education and healthcare, economic independence, and political decision-making power, families naturally become smaller," DSW Director Jan Kreutzberg explained.
