World's Population
The world's population was 6.6 billion in July 2006; it has been increasing by an average of 80 million a year since 2000. The UN's World Population Prospects (2004 revision) projects 9.2 billion people by 2050, an almost quadrupling from 2.5 billion in 1950. The number of persons over 60 is projected to be 1.9 billion in 2050, with 80 percent in developing countries.
The UN projected that migration from developing to industrial countries will average 2.3 million a year between 2007 and 2050.
The major determinant of worldwide population growth is fertility, which is expected to drop from 2.6 children per woman today to two by 2050 (women averaged five children between 1950 and 1955 and 4.5 between 1970 and 1975). Fertility is highest in the least developed countries, most of which are in Africa and Asia, and lowest in Japan and the industrial countries of Europe and the ex-USSR.
The world's labor force was 3.3 billion in 2006, including 195 million or 6.3 percent unemployed. According to the ILO, the world's labor force has been increasing by 1.6 percent or 53 million a year over the past decade. The share of persons 15 and older who are employed was 61.4 percent in 2006, including 78.8 percent of men 15 and older and 52.4 percent of women 15 and older. According to the ILO, about 40 percent of the world's workers were employed in services, 39 percent in agriculture, and 21 percent in industry.
The Middle East and North African region had the highest unemployment rate in 2006, 12.2 percent and the lowest employment-to-population ratio, 47 percent.
Remittances. The World Bank estimated that recorded remittances to developing countries were $199 billion in 2006, and total remittances (including funds transferred via informal channels) $268 billion.
Mastercard in February 2007 announced a partnership with the GSM Association, which represents more than 700 mobile phone operators with 600 million customers in 100 countries, to send money from one SIM card to another via the Mastercard global transactions network, with both parties receiving confirmation messages via SMS. According to Mastercard, there are about 2.5 billion mobile phones around the world, but two-thirds of people do not have banking services near where they live.
Global household wealth was an estimated $125 trillion in 2000, about three times world GDP of $40 trillion; per capita income was about $6,600 per person, and per capita wealth about $20,500 per person.
The UN projected that migration from developing to industrial countries will average 2.3 million a year between 2007 and 2050.
The major determinant of worldwide population growth is fertility, which is expected to drop from 2.6 children per woman today to two by 2050 (women averaged five children between 1950 and 1955 and 4.5 between 1970 and 1975). Fertility is highest in the least developed countries, most of which are in Africa and Asia, and lowest in Japan and the industrial countries of Europe and the ex-USSR.
The world's labor force was 3.3 billion in 2006, including 195 million or 6.3 percent unemployed. According to the ILO, the world's labor force has been increasing by 1.6 percent or 53 million a year over the past decade. The share of persons 15 and older who are employed was 61.4 percent in 2006, including 78.8 percent of men 15 and older and 52.4 percent of women 15 and older. According to the ILO, about 40 percent of the world's workers were employed in services, 39 percent in agriculture, and 21 percent in industry.
The Middle East and North African region had the highest unemployment rate in 2006, 12.2 percent and the lowest employment-to-population ratio, 47 percent.
Remittances. The World Bank estimated that recorded remittances to developing countries were $199 billion in 2006, and total remittances (including funds transferred via informal channels) $268 billion.
Mastercard in February 2007 announced a partnership with the GSM Association, which represents more than 700 mobile phone operators with 600 million customers in 100 countries, to send money from one SIM card to another via the Mastercard global transactions network, with both parties receiving confirmation messages via SMS. According to Mastercard, there are about 2.5 billion mobile phones around the world, but two-thirds of people do not have banking services near where they live.
Global household wealth was an estimated $125 trillion in 2000, about three times world GDP of $40 trillion; per capita income was about $6,600 per person, and per capita wealth about $20,500 per person.
Fonte: Migration News (University of California, Davis), april 2007.
