Read the lesson in English  
then translate to your own language to verify your understanding.

UN Population Projections | English Lesson

Jul 20, 2022

In this English lesson for economists, we’ll look at some population facts recently released by the United Nations.

Hi everyone. Today is July 20, 2022.

Well, sometimes the planet feels like a pretty crowded place to be. According to the United Nation’s Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the global population will continue to grow, but they project that the growth rate will slow.

In a moment, we will look at some key takeaways from this report, but first, let’s review a bit of vocabulary so you can discuss the issue of population growth in English.

Vocabulary

  • Demography: The scientific study of human populations, including their sizes, compositions, distributions, densities, growth, and other characteristics.
  • Life expectancy: The average period that a person may expect to live.
  • Fertility rate: A rough definition of “fertility rate” is the average number of children that would be born to a woman over her lifetime.
  • To surpass: To exceed. It is a fancy way to say “to pass”.

Discussion

Here are some key takeaways from the UN report:

  • The world’s population is projected to reach 8 billion on 15 November 2022
  • Global population could grow to around 8.5 billion in 2030, 9.7 billion in 2050, and 10.4 billion in 2100 (That means that population growth is slowing down)
  • Life expectancy at birth for women exceeded that for men by 5.4 years globally. Life expectancy for females is 73.8 years, and for males, it is 68.4 years. (Women live longer than men)
  • India is projected to surpass China as the world’s most populous country by 2023. (India will have a larger population than China beginning sometime next year)
  • Total fertility has fallen markedly in recent decades for many countries. Today, two-thirds of the global population lives in a country or area where fertility is below 2.1 births per woman. (Women are having fewer children than before)

The report explains that more than half of the projected increase in global population up to 2050 will be concentrated in just eight countries: the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, and the United Republic of Tanzania. Managing this booming population will present a serious challenge for policymakers in those countries. It will be felt by other countries, too, as population growth can be a driver of migration if the national economies cannot keep pace.

Conclusion

If you want to practice English vocabulary related to population and demographics, you could also review podcast number 13, which looked at the topic of immigration.

You can also contact me here if you are interested in taking some private English conversation classes that focus on issues related to the economy. With these classes, I will increase your fluency in no time.

Remember these words and expressions from today’s lesson.

Demography / Life expectancy / Fertility rate / To surpass

Okay. That’s it for now. I will be back next week with another English lesson for economists. See you then. 

 

Join Our Podcast Club

You Can Also Subscribe to Our Podcast On These Platforms:

Follow us on spotify
Apple Podcast

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest Podcasts

Riding the Investment Roller Coaster

Riding the Investment Roller Coaster

In this episode, we will be discussing an article published on March 16th in the Economist Magazine, titled "Is the global investment boom turning to bust?" https://open.spotify.com/episode/0WlmLAp3h3Bj05sDCijt9M?si=c93465499b054af7 The article describes how companies...

‘Premiumization’ and ‘Gentrification’

‘Premiumization’ and ‘Gentrification’

In this episode, we will be discussing an article recently published in The New York Times titled "Is the Entire Economy Gentrifying?" Listen again: Is the Entire Economy Gentrifying?” https://open.spotify.com/episode/24nSvTRoomFSVx9ubr517I?si=623105a7846c43ac While...

China’s Population Drop | English Lesson

China’s Population Drop | English Lesson

Last week's podcast covered the controversy surrounding the French government's plan to raise the statutory retirement age. In today’s vocabulary lesson, we will discuss the challenges that China is facing due to its shrinking population. In a recent article published...

The Battle Over Retirement Age in France | English Lesson

The Battle Over Retirement Age in France | English Lesson

Today, we are going to talk about retirement age. Listen to this headline, published on February 11, 2023: France braces for protests as Macron pushes forward with pension reform. Again: France braces for protests as Macron pushes forward with pension reform....

Hedging Bets with Nearshoring | English Lesson

Hedging Bets with Nearshoring | English Lesson

Today, we'll be discussing the trend of companies transferring their operations to nearby countries, because of geopolitical reasons, or because of recent disruptions in the global supply chain, like the shipping container crisis, and problems posed by Covid. For...

CBDC, Stablecoins, DeFi and Web3 | English Lesson

CBDC, Stablecoins, DeFi and Web3 | English Lesson

Hello, friends from all over the world. Welcome to the English for Economists podcast.  This is podcast number 63. I am Alan Robert and I am very happy that you joined me today. Thank you for your support. It’s January 24th, 2023, and today our topic deals with...

Share This