The world is set to have 200mn fewer people than previously expected by 2100, according to a UN report that highlights the dramatic impact of falling birth rates on the global population.
The latest edition of the World Population Prospects, a report published by the UN every two years, said the number of people would grow from 8.2bn in 2024 to a maximum of around 10.3bn in 2080, before declining to around 10.2bn by the end of the century.
The 2022 edition of the same report estimated the global population would peak at 10.4bn by the 2080s and remain at that level until 2100. Previous editions had forecast uninterrupted growth into the 22nd century.