Mixed signals on population growth
The HinduPublished : Jul 11, 2022 20:02 IST According to the the latest World Population Prospects Report 2022, which was released on July 11, the World Population Day, global life expectancy at birth fell to 71 years in 2021 due to COVID-19. Its findings show that even though world population was growing, the rate of growth had slowed down in many countries; that fertility levels across the board had declined; that working age populations had increased; and life expectancy had improved, though it still lagged behind in the Least Developed Countries. According to the report, the cumulative effect of lower fertility, if allowed to continue over several decades, could result in a more substantial reduction of global population growth in the second half of the century. As per the latest report, even in those countries which were comparatively heavily populated, the working age population between 24-64 was on the rise due to reduced fertility rates.