UN “African population will reach 2.5 billion in about 25 years”
Average age 19 years old… Labor, politics, and economic influence ↑
The level of education has improved… Industrialization failure and unemployment rate rise
It has been predicted that by 2050, one in four people on Earth will be African.
According to the New York Times (NYT) on the 28th (local time), the United Nations (UN) predicts that Africa will account for a quarter of the world’s population and more than a third of young people aged 15 to 24 in about 25 years. He said it would be possible.
In 1950, Africa made up 8% of the world’s population. Since then, the birth rate has continued to increase, making Africa the continent with the youngest population and fastest growing population on Earth today.
Experts predict that Africa’s population will nearly double to 2.5 billion over the next 25 years.
The average age of the African population is 19 years old. On the other hand, in India, the world’s most populous country, it is 28 years old, and in China and the United States, it is 38 years old. Within the next 10 years, Africa will surpass China and India to have the world’s largest labor force.
NYT reported that Africa’s population growth will not only change the countries within Africa, but also change their relationships with the rest of the world.
Africa’s political influence is growing. African leaders are being invited to summits of world powers seeking minerals needed to build electric cars and solar panels. Last September, the African Union joined the G20, the highest council for international economic cooperation.
Additionally, companies are chasing new consumers in Africa every year. Hilton Hotels, headquartered in Virginia, USA, plans to open 65 new hotels on the African continent within five years. Credit Suisse, a Swiss global investment bank, predicts that the number of millionaires in Africa will be the fastest growing in the world and will reach 768,000 by 2027.
The NYT pointed out that Africa’s challenge is managing reckless growth. Experts say Africa will play a key role in addressing some of the most pressing issues of our time, including climate change, energy transition and migration.
The proportion of young people in Africa who graduated from high school increased from 27% in 2000 to 44% in 2020. But finding a good job is not easy.
According to the World Bank, up to one million Africans enter the labor market every month, but less than one in four of them are unable to find a decent job. The unemployment rate in South Africa, the most industrialized country in Africa, is as high as 35%.
Aubrey Hruby, author of ‘Next Africa’, said, “After climate change, Africa’s jobs crisis will be the defining challenge of our time,” and said Africa’s unemployment problem will become a global problem.
NYT said, “In the 1970s and 1980s, when China, Korea, and Japan were the driving forces of population growth, factories in these countries were filled with young people. “Thanks to this, they became rich and hundreds of millions of people were able to escape poverty,” he said. “Africa is not in a good position to repeat these achievements. “With the exception of a few countries, most countries on the African continent have failed to industrialize,” he said.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.