Nigeria’s population is projected to post a 54 per cent increase by 2050 while the current global population of over eight billion will reach nearly 9.6 billion during the same period.
This is according to the 2024 World Population Data Sheet released by the Population Reference Bureau (PRB),
Population Reference Bureau (PRB), which provides global, regional, and country-specific data on population growth and decline, age structure, and fertility. Indicators. Nigeria’s current estimated population of 232 million people is equivalent to 2.85 per cent of the total world population.
According to the 2024 World Population Data Sheet, some of the country-specific projections for 2050 include: an increase in Nigeria’s population of 54 per cent; a rise in Tanzania’s population of almost 90 per cent; India’s population increase from today’s 1.4 billion to nearly 1.7 billion; and a drop in the current population of the Republic of Korea of just under 52 million to just over 47 million.
The report’s findings on age structure highlight that 10 per cent of the world’s population is aged 65 and older, while 25 per cent is under age 15.
The world’s youngest region is sub-Saharan Africa where 41 per cent of the population is aged 15 or younger.
“The oldest populations are found in Monaco (Italy), where the share of the population aged 65 and older is 36 per cent; Japan, with 29 per cent of its population is aged 65 and older; and Southern Europe – the oldest region in the world, with 22 per cent of its population is aged 65 and older.
The report disclosed that about 50 per cent of the world’s population lacks access to good primary health care.
It stated that increasing investments in primary health care can improve health outcomes and help countries achieve the SDGs.
The report called for investments to improve access to people-centered, continuous, comprehensive, and coordinated primary healthcare (PHC) across low-income countries (LICs) and middle-income countries (MICs) by increasing the availability and retention of staff, which, it argues, could prevent up to 60 million deaths by 2030 and increase average life expectancy by 3.7 years. At the same time, it acknowledged that many countries lack sufficient resources, and shortages in trained health professionals contribute to overworked personnel and worse quality of care.
According to the report, globally, 63 per cent of married women aged 15-49 use some method of family planning. In some regions, the share is relatively high (78% in South America), while in other regions, it is considerably lower (50% in Northern Africa and 45% in Eastern Africa).
Ndubuisi Francis
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