UN: World population to hit 9.8 billion in 2050

UNITED NATIONS - India's population is expected to surpass China's in about seven years and Nigeria is projected to overtake the United States and become the world's third-most-populous country shortly before 2050, according to a UN report issued on Wednesday.

The report, The World Population Prospects: The 2017 Revision, by the Department of Economic and Social Affairs' Population Division, forecasts that the current world population of nearly 7.6 billion will increase to 8.6 billion by 2030, 9.8 billion in 2050 and 11.2 billion in 2100.

About 83 million people a year are added to the world population and the trend is expected to continue despite falling fertility rates since the 1960s.