For the first time in history, the number of older people in the world has exceeded the number of children under five
For the first time in recorded history, the population of people aged 65 and older has surpassed the number of children under the age of five. According to Axios, citing a report by the US Census Bureau, this global demographic shift has been driven by declining birth rates and increasing life expectancy.
According to expert projections, the number of older people on the planet will grow from 852 million in 2025 to 2 billion by 2060, at which point the Earth's total population will reach 10.23 billion people. Analysts at the American Enterprise Institute note that in 2026, the global fertility rate dropped below the level required for simple population replacement for the first time. Long-term declines in fertility have been recorded in 219 of the 236 countries studied.
Due to demographic momentum, population growth will continue to slow down. According to research, a peak population of 9 billion people could be reached by 2056, after which a decline will begin. At the same time, the UN baseline projection assumes a later peak of about 10.3 billion people by 2084.
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