Forecast: world population, by continent 2100

In 2100, the population of Asia is expected to reach 4.71 billion, up from 4.6 billion in 2019. The large increase in global population is expected have a significant impact on the functioning of the Earth as a whole.

Worldwide population growth

In the United States, the total population is expected to steadily increase over the next couple of years. In 2019, Asia held over half of the global population, and is expected to have the highest number of people living in urban areas in 2050. Asia is home to the two most populous countries, India and China, both with a population of over one billion people. However, the small country of Monaco has the highest population density worldwide in 2019.

Effects of overpopulation

Alongside the growing worldwide population, there are negative effects of overpopulation. The biggest effect of overpopulation is damage to the environment, as it limits resources and contributes to pollution. As the population grows, the demand for food grows, which requires more water, which in turn takes away from the freshwater available. Concurrently, food needs to be transported through different mechanisms, which contributes to air pollution. Not every resource is renewable, meaning the world is using up limited resources which will eventually run out. Furthermore, more species will become extinct which harms the ecosystem and food chain. Overpopulation was considered to be one of the most important environmental issues worldwide in 2019.