In 2050, One Third of the World's Youth Will Live in 'Africa'

Africa's Population Projected to Reach 2.5 Billion by 2050
One-Third of Global Youth and Young Adult Population

There is a projection that Africa's population will rapidly increase and account for one-quarter of the world's population by 2050. On the 30th (local time), the US 'New York Times (NYT)' reported, citing population estimates from the United Nations (UN), that Africa's population is expected to nearly double to 2.5 billion in about 25 years.

According to the UN's estimates, Africa's population is expected to make up one-quarter of the world's population around 2050. Especially among youths aged 15 to 24, one-third of the global population will be African. A hundred years ago, in 1950, Africa's population accounted for only 8% of the world's population.

African continent.

The NYT stated that this could significantly change Africa's economic status compared to the past. Earlier in September, the African Union became a member of the Group of Twenty (G20) summit countries. The global hotel company Hilton also announced plans to open 65 hotels on the African continent within the next five years. The wealthy class in Africa is also rapidly increasing. Credit Suisse, a global investment bank headquartered in Switzerland, forecasts that the number of millionaires in Africa is currently growing the fastest in the world and will reach 768,000 by 2027.

However, whether the current African economic system can absorb the rapidly increasing population without side effects is expected to be a major challenge. The NYT pointed out that although the education level of Africa's youth has improved significantly compared to the past, jobs are still scarce. Up to one million Africans enter the labor market every month, but fewer than one in four secure stable, regular employment. The unemployment rate in South Africa, where industrialization has relatively progressed on the continent, also reaches 35%.

The NYT noted, "The unemployment problem must be solved through industrialization, as Japan, Korea, and China have done," but also pointed out that "most countries, except for a few, have failed to industrialize due to a lack of infrastructure such as roads and railways."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.