A growing number of countries are confronting the dual challenges of population decline and aging, as younger generations opt to have fewer children and advances in healthcare extend life expectancy. China said Friday that its population fell for the third straight year in 2024, falling by almost 1.4 million to 1.408 billion. Elsewhere in Asia, Japan's population has been falling for 15 years, while South Korea's growth turned negative in 2021. In Italy, the number of births has fallen below 400,000 for the first time since the 19th century. The population has peaked in 63 countries and territories, about half in Europe, the United Nations says. The UN projects another 48 will hit their peak over the next 30 years. Globally, the population of 8.2 billion people is still growing, with the UN projecting it will reach 10.3 billion in roughly 60 years and then start to decline. For many countries with shrinking populations, the slow-moving but hard-to-reverse trend has prompted ...
Population decline is not unique to China, East Asian countries such as Japan and South Korea, have also experienced decreases in birth rates
Tianmen, with 1 million residents, saw 1,050 more babies in 2024, defying China's declining births and ageing population, key challenges to the nation's economic sustainability
In terms of India integrating with the world, the report notes that it can benefit from being increasingly important for the world
The Tesla Owners Silicon Valley account, which originally shared the data, emphasised the seriousness of the issue, stating, 'Population collapse is humanity's greatest threat'
The world population increased by more than 71 million people in 2024 and will be 8.09 billion people on New Year's Day, according to US Census Bureau estimates released Monday. The 0.9 per cent increase in 2024 was a slight slowdown from 2023, when the world population grew by 75 million people. In January 2025, 4.2 births and 2.0 deaths were expected worldwide every second, according to the estimates. The United States grew by 2.6 million people in 2024, and the US population on New Year's Day will be 341 million people, according to the Census Bureau. The United States was expected to have one birth every 9 seconds and one death every 9.4 seconds in January 2025. International migration was expected to add one person to the US population every 23.2 seconds. The combination of births, deaths and net international migration will increase the US population by one person every 21.2 seconds, the Census Bureau said. So far in the 2020s, the US population has grown by almost 9.7 milli
India has become most populous nation. But with fertility rate slowing, there are concerns that it may grow old before getting rich. The second part of the series explores demographic challenges
Immigration to the United States in 2024 drove US population growth to its fastest rate in 23 years as the nation surpassed 340 million residents, the US Census Bureau said Thursday. The 1% growth rate this year was the highest it has been since 2001, and it was a marked contrast to the record low of 0.2% set in 2021 at the height of pandemic restrictions on travel to the United States, according to the annual population estimates. Immigration this year increased by 2.8 million people, partly because of a new method of counting that adds people who were admitted for humanitarian reasons. Net international migration accounted for 84% of the nation's 3.3 million-person increase between 2023 and 2024. Births outnumbered deaths in the United States by almost 519,000 between 2023 and 2024, which was an improvement over the historic low of 146,000 in 2021 but still well below the highs of previous decades. The group of people being included in the international migration estimates are th
At a time Hong Kong is trying to reverse one of world's lowest birth rates, residents seeking to have a baby outside of traditional means are running into strict rules on fertility treatments
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat advocates for every Indian family to have three children. Here's what he said and why his comments are stirring a debate
Expressing concern over declining population growth, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday said the total fertility rate in India should be at least 3, well above the fertility rate of 2.1 per cent that is considered as the population replacement rate. Speaking at the 'Kathale Kul (clan) Sammelan' in Nagpur, Bhagwat also highlighted the vital role of families, and warned that according to population science, if a society's total fertility rate dips below 2.1, it could face extinction. A declining population is a serious concern. Demographic studies suggest that when a society's total fertility rate falls below 2.1, it risks facing extinction. This decline does not necessarily require external threats; a society can gradually fade away on its own, Bhagwat said. Many languages and cultures have already disappeared due to this issue. Thus, it is essential to maintain a fertility rate above 2.1," Bhagwat said, and emphasized that "kutumb" (family) is an integral part of society and every ..
The last nationwide census was held in 1987 in Iraq, followed by a census in 1997 which did not include certain Kurdish regions
A special process will be created to determine the responsibility of contractors and engineers to improve the quality of roads
The census would set the stage for the delimitation exercise and introduction of the Women Reservation Act
Hit hard by China's deepening demographic crisis, thousands of famed kindergartens have been closed as enrolment of children dropped sharply across the country due to a significant decline in birth rates, according to an official report. In 2023, the number of kindergartens fell by 14,808 to 274,400, the annual report by the Chinese education ministry stated. It is the second consecutive annual decline in the latest indicator of China's falling birth rates. The number of children enrolled in kindergarten declined for a third consecutive year dropping by 11.55 per cent, or 5.35 million, last year to 40.9 million, the Hong Kong based South China Morning Post reported on Sunday, quoting the ministry's report. The number of primary schools also dropped by 5,645 to 143,500 in 2023, a 3.8 per cent fall. The decline reflects a broader demographic shift in China where both birth rates and total population continue to dwindle posing a serious threat to future economic growth, which is ..
The MCD is considering a proposal to ban pigeon-feeding spots across the city, citing potential health risks posed by the overpopulation of these birds. Popular feeding areas, typically seen on pavements, roundabouts, and road intersections, could soon be shut down if the proposal is approved. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi officials said that the plan is still in its early stages, and an advisory is expected soon. The proposal aims to address the health risks associated with pigeon droppings, which can harbour pathogens such as Salmonella, E. Coli, and influenza. These pathogens can exacerbate respiratory conditions like asthma and lead to severe allergic reactions. "When pigeons gather in large numbers, their droppings and feather fluttering create a breeding ground for various pathogens, particularly fungal spores like cryptococci. Inhaling these spores can lead to serious respiratory issues, including hypersensitivity pneumonitis, asthma, and even severe fungal pneumonia in
Concerns over delimitation of Lok Sabha seats and a fall in fertility rates in South India have states revisiting family planning schemes
Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu said that his government plans to legislate allowing only candidates with more than two children to contest local body elections
The central government has also recently pledged to reduce "medically unnecessary abortions," setting off worries that access to the procedure could be restricted
Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Wednesday said India should not be viewed as the world's third or fourth-largest emitter of greenhouse gases and its low per capita emission should be considered instead. Addressing a session at the Global Renewable Energy Investors Meet and Expo in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, he said India is home to 17 per cent of the world's population, but its share of global carbon emissions is less than 5 per cent. In contrast, the per capita emissions of the combined 17 per cent population in developed countries account for 60 per cent of global emissions, he added. "India should not be viewed as the world's third or fourth-largest emitter of greenhouse gases. While we might rank 'fourth or fifth' in terms of (cumulative) carbon emissions, our per capita emissions are significantly lower than those of developed countries," he said. When it comes to the use of fossil fuels, developing countries, including India, maintain that they still have significant