Overcrowding: World population will reach 9.8 billion people by 2050

If you think our world is already too crowded with today's world population - of just over 7.5 billion people - imagine what it will be like in 2050, when that number jumps to almost 10 billion! Well, dear reader, a survey by the Population Reference Bureau, an organization focused on collecting statistical data for research and academic studies, revealed that Earth's population will increase by 31% in just over three decades and that's pretty scary. .

With regard to the regions of the planet that will have the highest population growth rates, according to Brad Jones of Futurism, the survey found that Africa will more than double by 2050, rising from the current 1.2 billion to 2.6 billion. of inhabitants. In Asia, the increase was estimated at 750 million people - bringing the current figure from 4.4 billion to about 5.2 billion - while in the Americas the jump will be from 1 billion to 1.2 billion. people.

Over crowded

According to Brad, the survey also revealed that India's population should surpass China's - which is the most populous country today - when its population goes from 1.3 to 1.7 billion people by 2050. By the way, that will be nation that alone will suffer the largest population increase in the world over the next 33 years. The study also pointed out that the only region where a slight decline is expected is Europe (including Russia), with a drop from the current 745 million inhabitants to 736 million by 2050.

The problem with this survey is that if the projection materializes, it does not simply mean that some regions of the earth will become uncomfortably overcrowded. As we explained in a previous article here from Mega Curioso, on August 2 - that is, 20 days ago - humanity had already consumed the natural resources available for the whole year. Imagine what will happen when the world's population jumps from 7.5 to almost 10 billion!

We are currently using 1.7 more resources than we should a year, so it is no wonder scientists believe that humanity is actually a plague or insisting that if we are to survive as a species, it's good to find another planet or star to live on. And the problems are not just about sustaining so many lives with a limited amount of natural components here on Earth.

According to Brad, overpopulation is an ethical problem, as it is partly the result of technological, medical, and scientific advances that are enabling people to live longer and longer. There are many initiatives and ideas to try to help the planet survive with so many people, such as limiting emissions, working on developing more efficient cities and creating vertical farms. But given the time limit that we have (just over 30 years) before the world's population increases by over 30%, it is hard to imagine a very bright future.