Can we be sure the world's population will stop rising?

[Gerald]

Forecasters expect the world's population to reach 10bn by the year 2050 - but could the figure be a lot, lot higher?

The United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA, recently published a report describing the world's ageing population.

"Today we have one in nine persons aged 60 or over," says the UNFPA's Dr Ann Pawliczko, "but by 2050 it'll be one in five, and by that time there will be more older persons than those under 15 years."

The UN sees these statistics as a cause both for celebration because more people are living longer, and some concern because the change presents an economic and social challenge.

Dr Pawliczko would like see more countries prepare for the coming demographic shift. After all, she says, there is no doubt it is happening.

"We can be very certain about the numbers for 2050 because persons who will be aged 60 in 2050 are already born. This not speculation."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-19923200

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Note: 13 October 2012 Last updated at 23:18 GMT