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A subway station in Seoul. The South Korean capital has a population approaching 10 million. AFP
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Houses cover a hillside in the Petare neighbourhood of Caracas, Venezuela. The world's population hit an estimated eight billion people on November 15, according to the United Nations. AP
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Damaris Ferrera with her baby at Damian Ferrera Altagracia Hospital – in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic – which symbolically named him the eight billionth inhabitant of the world. AP
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Barbers on an abandoned train track in Abeokuta, about 70km outside Lagos, Nigeria. More than half of the projected increase in the global population up to 2050 will be concentrated in eight countries: the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines and Tanzania. EPA
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/4YXDTGLGPF3FXDZITFBE6YOTZY.jpg?smart=true&auth=a110d081183e41eb6abd798a89ba8eacf240273e79e6f0afedc34d53462d1e72&width=400&height=225)
Newborn babies at Hotel Dieu hospital in Beirut, Lebanon, as the world population surges past eight billion. Reuters
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Crowds on Takeshita Street in Tokyo, considered to be the world's most populous metropolitan area. AFP
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Nigeria is a significant contributor to world population growth. Countries in sub-Saharan Africa are expected to contribute more than half of the increase anticipated up to 2050, according to the UN. AP
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A packed Ipanema beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. AP
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Traffic chaos at Ojodu-Berger bus station in Lagos, Nigeria's commercial capital, which has a population of about 15 million. AFP
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A crowded market in Jalandhar, India. AFP
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A family taking pictures at the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. AP
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Commuters waiting for buses in Manila, Philippines, where the city's 12 million population swells by three million during working hours. AFP
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Mexico City is home to more than 20 million people. Reuters
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Times Square in Manhattan. About nine million people live in New York's five boroughs. Reuters
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A busy market in New Delhi, India, part of an urban area where the population is estimated to be 32 million. AP
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Commuters at a train station in Hong Kong. AFP
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Indian commuters get off trains at the Church Gate railway station in Mumbai, India. AP
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A subway station in Seoul. The South Korean capital has a population approaching 10 million. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/O45KS5LL5HSATRDOXRKWQCUMX4.jpg?smart=true&auth=3e1973d8d0f5ffe4be2f936bbeef28184981ea250a3faf3f3b35ee77ce413b72&width=400&height=225)
Houses cover a hillside in the Petare neighbourhood of Caracas, Venezuela. The world's population hit an estimated eight billion people on November 15, according to the United Nations. AP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/O2Z4YN26EPDZGHA2AIA3SRL3BY.jpg?smart=true&auth=89cf250aa3c8f62aff33c06c7f96e94e14c43cf12ab059b602bc0e932b16f730&width=400&height=225)
Damaris Ferrera with her baby at Damian Ferrera Altagracia Hospital – in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic – which symbolically named him the eight billionth inhabitant of the world. AP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/AUF7SZEVJGQ6BY52QA5WWXWHZA.jpg?smart=true&auth=6c8d372902ee2ae8ad7fc4e058f104b7f25fbcc7f9bf0d6672ba7fdc3dff64cd&width=400&height=225)
Barbers on an abandoned train track in Abeokuta, about 70km outside Lagos, Nigeria. More than half of the projected increase in the global population up to 2050 will be concentrated in eight countries: the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines and Tanzania. EPA
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/4YXDTGLGPF3FXDZITFBE6YOTZY.jpg?smart=true&auth=a110d081183e41eb6abd798a89ba8eacf240273e79e6f0afedc34d53462d1e72&width=400&height=225)
Newborn babies at Hotel Dieu hospital in Beirut, Lebanon, as the world population surges past eight billion. Reuters
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/55BBY6MGK7EHHWUMOXWUBMOJJ4.jpg?smart=true&auth=8e0c5ef867c23bedc4956ddfc4e640ee3c34fd36ca88baea5bd6c91550f663cc&width=400&height=225)
Crowds on Takeshita Street in Tokyo, considered to be the world's most populous metropolitan area. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/LR7Y4Y24RQ5DJPWCKQTEVVTQUA.jpg?smart=true&auth=bdcae29ae8e7d2c96464c02be4d77a6017d6b7d884be216d22d6e7a582744632&width=400&height=225)
Nigeria is a significant contributor to world population growth. Countries in sub-Saharan Africa are expected to contribute more than half of the increase anticipated up to 2050, according to the UN. AP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/F3FYTSSSF22FJXO6KQFZS2NJKQ.jpg?smart=true&auth=da3386b69ccb2ef8238bf0561d8ad6c0238da354e4598eae970b35790b2fe3f8&width=400&height=225)
A packed Ipanema beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. AP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/S7G7XGSFUVALR3VVCAZQN3VFRY.jpg?smart=true&auth=75e1a7b94284b400c129aa2b496a14419ddc5464e2421898e12b6b9927aa2f12&width=400&height=225)
Traffic chaos at Ojodu-Berger bus station in Lagos, Nigeria's commercial capital, which has a population of about 15 million. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/4RGF3FDVFMBRRRNPWPMBMX7XVE.jpg?smart=true&auth=66f5d896f642adf1b2a11a4e0233d90e38e1168325a3c387dc7bd5ecea689c6e&width=400&height=225)
A crowded market in Jalandhar, India. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/VX42WRQBJHCNIBKXZFTXMTQXQA.jpg?smart=true&auth=9c440edefb3a57541cec57f22912d7836a04466909846a9fbf41b5af46d19e65&width=400&height=225)
A family taking pictures at the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. AP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/C5YT6WL3TA4Z3B36IEVQRZVFII.jpg?smart=true&auth=ac9748511ff0113b7326834369df62b8afd70c0d0fcff82ac2133bde7d27f9ca&width=400&height=225)
Commuters waiting for buses in Manila, Philippines, where the city's 12 million population swells by three million during working hours. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/YMDPDJGWBJX4PTF7JLYCRVQI7Q.jpg?smart=true&auth=c5461d40dad9c9c6ffe1e83a7f883bbe1b481ed23bad0795d1e91c83ee4c04c8&width=400&height=225)
Mexico City is home to more than 20 million people. Reuters
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/MKEU3KXZ6RJW2Q47R2LY6AJN5E.jpg?smart=true&auth=c2504f40c02dc8540c6beb409c1d5431cb385a8b3e3514a40647d3a9d90b8d6d&width=400&height=225)
Times Square in Manhattan. About nine million people live in New York's five boroughs. Reuters
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A busy market in New Delhi, India, part of an urban area where the population is estimated to be 32 million. AP
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Commuters at a train station in Hong Kong. AFP
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Indian commuters get off trains at the Church Gate railway station in Mumbai, India. AP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/PPIRANAXYHRINRWQDPSI7JYARQ.jpg?smart=true&auth=3f12751b2dcbd88dd29c82d5ba23eb2bf937e31a70425d7c0bcb13454c9c8ef4&width=400&height=225)
A subway station in Seoul. The South Korean capital has a population approaching 10 million. AFP
Can the world feed 10 billion people?
Agriculture is already a significant contributor to climate change, but with the planet's expanding population even more food will need to be grown
![Daniel Bardsley](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/https%3A%2F%2Fs3.amazonaws.com%2Farc-authors%2Fthenational%2F4dcffed7-67d1-4c6f-b468-84a82d1ddd22.png?smart=true&auth=e4d7a6e3c76d7ec922e25339bc18538c62bc925936c2316006dc89b8a7becdc6&width=70&height=70)
Daniel Bardsley
18 November, 2022
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