World's future population: stabilized, older

DB: This is Earth & Sky. Experts predict that in the next half century, Earth's population overall will become more stable and older. JB: But first, world population is expected to grow from 6.5 billion people on Earth today to about 9.1 billion by 2050. That's according to Joel Cohen, Professor of Populations at the Rockefeller University and Columbia University in New York City. Cohen told Earth & Sky that, over the last 45 years, fertility rates have been dropping worldwide. DB: On average, women in developing countries now bear about three children in a lifetime. That's twice the number of children as in the developed countries. JB: Fertility rates are dropping as women gain access to education. Combined with a near-doubling of average life expectancy, these trends indicate that the population of tomorrow will be, in general, older.

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