Global Scans · Population · Weekly Summary

WHAT'S NEXT?: The global population is expected to reach 8.5 billion in 2030, up 1 billion from 2016. Western economies are declining in numbers and emerging economies witnessing burgeoning growth.

• [New] The share of senior citizens in the US population is projected to grow from 18.7% in 2025 to nearly 23% by 2050, while children under 18 decline from almost 21% to a projected 18.4%. The Star
• [New] Without any immigration, the US population will start shrinking in five years. The Star
• [New] The Charlotte region's population is projected to grow from 3 million today to 4.6 million by 2050. EIN Presswire
• [New] With the global population projected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050, pressure on land, water and ecosystems will intensify. Altiorem
• [New] Projections using a machine-learning model, trained on historical socioeconomic and water-resources data, reveal the impact of inequality on water security and predict that, by 2100, 63% of the global population could face severe water scarcity. Nature
• [New] By 2034, global power consumption is expected to have doubled due to population increase, industrialization, and expectations of improved living standards. Precedence Research
• [New] By 2050, the global population aged 65 years and older is projected to surpass 1.6 billion, accounting for nearly 16% of the total population. JMIR Aging
• [New] The native-born US population will begin shrinking as early as 2031, eight years sooner than expected just a year ago. American Enterprise Institute - AEI
• [New] BRICS now encompasses nearly half of the world's population, with India being the most populous nation with exceptional human potential. UzDaily.uz
• [New] Africa is the outlier, expected to account for more than half of global population growth in coming decades. Australian Rural & Regional News
• [New] China has already begun declining after peaking at 1.426 billion in 2022 and is projected to lose tens of millions by mid-century - potentially halving its population to 500-700 million by 2100. Australian Rural & Regional News
• [New] Overall availability for autonomous driving in the U.S. is going to go from about 15% of the urban population at the end of 2025 to over 30% of the urban population by year end 2026. Morgan Stanley
• [New] With the global population projected to cross 8.5 billion by 2030, agriculture is under pressure to produce more food using limited land and fewer resources. Farmonaut
• [New] The Social Security area population is projected to increase from 349 million people in 2026 to 364 million in 2056. Criminal Law Library Blog
• [New] The Congressional Budget Office released its demographic outlook projecting that the U.S. population grows from 349 million people in 2026 to 364 million in 2056, and the average age rises. TrillionsWeekly.Com
• [New] Starting in 2030, annual deaths exceed annual births, and net immigration accounts for all population growth. / USA TrillionsWeekly.Com
• Musk envisions a world where, with a population of 8 billion, demand for robots could hit 10 billion units or more by 2040. Gasgoo Auto News
• Both Africa and India are growing; it is very likely that within the next 20 years, the population of Africa and India will each exceed 2 billion. Valdai Club
• By 2043, Japan's population may drop to less than 100 million, and South Korea's may drop to less than 40 million. Valdai Club

Last updated: 29 January 2026