World population grows faster than expected

Since 1999, the world's population has grown by about 79 million people a year. A report released today by the World Resources Institute suggests that the world's population is growing more quickly than expected and could reach 9.1 billion people by 2050. The current world population is about 6.8 billion.

Here are some interesting facts from the report, courtesy of The Daily Green:

• More than 95% of population growth is occurring in developing countries, especially in Africa and Asia, regions that account for more than three-quarters of the current population. U.N. demographers estimate that by mid-century, Africa will be adding 21 million people a year to world population and Asia 5 million.

• Although the populations of Japan, Germany, Russia, and some Eastern European countries are already declining, U.N. demographers do not indicate a population peak among industrial countries as a group until 2036.

• Global spending on contraceptive supplies and services totaled $338 million in 2007, considerably less than half the amount in 1995 — despite a 20% increase in the number of people of reproductive age in developing countries.

For more info on the report, check out this story.