Scientists warn that if current trends in Ukraine continue, by 2100 there could be only 18 million inhabitants left in the country, down from the current 42 million.

Ukraine is losing its population fast

According to American scientists, the population of Ukraine could drop to under 18 million people by 2100.

At the same time, the Earth’s population is expected to peak at 9.73 billion people by 2064, after which it would begin dropping, a study published in The Lancet predicted. In the following 35 years the number of inhabitants on the planet is expected to drop by 9%.

The drop in population growth is expected due to expansion of contraception to countries that currently don’t use it much. The average fertility rate will drop to 1.7 children per woman.

Currently the worldwide life expectancy is 71 years; by the end of the century it may reach 74 years.

By 2100 the share of people aged over 65 will be 20% larger than the group aged under 20.

China’s population is also expected to drop by half, but the country itself will become the world’s leader in economy by 2050. However, the USA may be able to regain its #1 position by 2100.

The study considered scenarios for 195 countries of the world.

Current population of the planet stands at 7.6 billion. The number of people who are currently alive is about 7% of the total number of humans who have ever lived. It is estimated that by 2050, 113 billion people have ever lived on our planet. The age of modern humans as a species is estimated at 50,000 years by this study.

In Ukraine, currently deaths exceed births. There is also sizable emigration that affects the population numbers. Millions of Ukrainians go abroad in search of better paying jobs and many of them never return home.

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