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The Essential: The Inquiry: How Will a Population Boom Change Africa?

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How Will A Population Boom Change Africa?

23/12/2015 GMT

The Inquiry: How Will a Population Boom Change Africa?

BBC World Service - The Essential, The Inquiry: How Will a Population Boom Change Africa?

Hans Rosling says the doubling of Africa’s population could be a good news story

The UN forecasts a doubling of Africa’s population in 35 years. Hans Rosling says this spectacular demographic shift could be a good news story for the continent.

The UN forecasts that the number of people living in Africa will double in the next 35 years. Nigeria, the fastest-growing nation, is expected to become the third-largest country in the world by 2050. By the end of the century, almost 40% of the world’s population will live on this one continent. It raises questions about how countries – some of which are already facing big challenges – will cope. In this excerpt from The Inquiry, Hans Rosling argues that this spectacular demographic shift could be a good news story for Africa.

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