Demographics

The most typical person in the world is a 28-year-old Han Chinese man, with an estimated nine million people sharing those characteristics, an analysis by National Geographic found. 

As global population increases and people become wealthier, agricultural production will need to likewise increase, but food systems may become more stressed because of competition for water.

700m or so extra people may move to cities by mid-century and may double or triple demand for health services, transport, energy, housing, sanitation, food and water.

Global population is on track to reach 7bn in 2011 and the growth of the world

Over the the next 50 years, we are likely to witness an epidemic of neurological diseases, such as Alzheimer's, as the world population ages.

Development strategies sensitive to cultural values can promote human rights, including gender equality and women's empowerment.

• Demographics/Diversity - well-presented statistical data shows that the so-called "developing world" is far more different and diverse than many imagine.

• Change - it is now possible to see statistics about global issues being updated in real-time: coverage includes demographics, economics, education, environment, food and water.

• Demographics - do population patterns mean that secularisation and modernism are doomed to decline?
• Privacy - there is a growing tension between knowledge and privacy.