A United Nations survey has projected that Nigeria’s population will surpass that of the United States by 2050 to become the third most populous country in the world behind only India and China.
According to the report, which was released on Thursday, Nigeria, the seventh most populous country in the world, is expected to grow from its current population of 182 million to 399 million by 2050 and that it will reach 752 million by 2100.
China (1.37bn) is the most populous nation, followed by India (1.31bn), the United States (322m), Indonesia (258m), Brazil (208), Pakistan (189), and Nigeria (182).
The study revealed that one billion people have been added to the world’s population in the past 12 years and by mid-2015, the number stood at 7.3 billion.
The Director of the United Nations Population Division, John Wilmoth, while highlighting the challenges developing nations will face due to rapid population growth, noted that the concentration of population growth in the poorest countries made it more difficult to eradicate poverty and inequality.
Other challenges listed included combating hunger and malnutrition and expanding educational enrollment and health systems, all of which he described as crucial to the success of the new sustainable development agenda.
The report read, “The population is forecast to increase by another billion over the next 15 years, exceeding 9.7 billion by 2050 and 11.2 billion by 2100. The projected increase can be attributed to high-fertility countries, mostly in Africa, or countries with already existing large populations.
“During the next 35 years, Africa is expected to account for more than half of the world’s population growth, with 28 African nations forecast to more than double their population.
“Nigeria, currently the seventh largest country in the world, is the nation with the fastest population growth rate, and it’s expected to surpass the United States by 2050, becoming the third largest country in the world.”
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