WASHINGTON, Dec. 21, Reuter: The World could have 6.2 billion people by the year 2,000, 27 per cent more than in 1985, according to a US. Census Bureau report released today.
World population was three billion in 1960 and 4.8 billion in 1980.
The report said at least half the World’s people now live in four countries — China, India, the Sovjet Union and the United States.
‘With birthdates falling in industrial countries and rising in developing countries, this would change by early in the next century.
For every 10 people added each year to the population of developing countries only one person was added in industrialised countries, the Census Bureau said.
Its report based on figures provided by the US. Agency for International Development (AID), said the one exception to this trend was China where birth control was holding population growth to a relatively low 0.8 per cent a year.
“Half of the World’s population is expected to live in urban areas by year 2,000, up from 42 per cent in 1985, and just 29 per cent in 1950,” the Bureau said.
It predicted that Mexico City would overtake Tokyo Yokohama by 2000 as the World’s most populous urban area. The Southern Japan metropolitan area now has 254 million people.
Article extracted from this publication >> December 26, 1986
