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Global Context

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1.1 World: Population 1950-2019

The World’s population increased by 204% from 2.5 billion to 7.7 billion between 1950 and 2019.

Africa‘s share of the World’s population increased from 9% in 1950 to 17% in 2019, while Europe’s fell from 22% to 10% over the same period. In 2019, Asia was the world region with the largest share of the World’s population at 60%.

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1.2 World: Child mortality rates 1950-2020

World child mortality rates, as measured by the number of deaths of children before the age of five per 1,000 live births, have fallen from an average annual 213 in 1950-1955 to 40 in 2015-2020.

The greatest relative fall in child mortality rates occurred in Europe where the average annual rate declined from 93 to 5 between 1950-1955 and 2015-2020. Europe also had the lowest average annual child mortality rate in the world in 2015-2020 at 5 deaths before the age of five per 1,000 live births.

Africa had the highest child mortality rate in the World in 2015-2020, with an average annual 71 deaths of children before age five per 1,000 live births, despite having the largest absolute fall over the 1950-2020 period.

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1.3 World: Life expectancy at birth 1950-2020

Global life expectancy at birth increased from an average annual 47.0 years in 1950-1955 to 72.3 years in 2015-2020.

Although life expectancy in Africa increased from an average annual 37.5 years in 1950-1955 to 62.7 years in 2015-2020, the latter figure was still the lowest for any World region. In contrast North America had the highest life expectancy at birth in 2015-2020 at 79.2 years.

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YearHadCRUT4 (by Met Office Hadley Centre and Climatic Research Unit)GISTEMP (by NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies)NOAAGlobalTemp (by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)
1850-0.0500
18510.100
18520.0900
18530.0500
18540.0700
18550.0500
1856-0.0400
1857-0.1400
1858-0.1500
18590.0400
1860-0.0200
1861-0.0900
1862-0.200
18630.0400
1864-0.1700
18650.0400
18660.0700
1867000
18680.0800
18690.0600
18700.0400
1871-0.0100
18720.0900
18730.0200
1874-0.0500
1875-0.0700
1876-0.0600
18770.2500
18780.3600
18790.0900
18800.090.040.08
18810.120.120.13
18820.110.110.12
18830.020.030.05
1884-0.09-0.07-0.02
1885-0.07-0.09-0.03
1886-0.05-0.1-0.01
1887-0.1-0.13-0.06
18880.010.040.04
18890.150.110.09
1890-0.1-0.15-0.13
1891-0.01-0.01-0.06
1892-0.13-0.05-0.11
1893-0.15-0.1-0.12
1894-0.09-0.09-0.08
1895-0.07-0.01-0.03
18960.130.110.11
18970.110.10.08
1898-0.09-0.06-0.06
18990.030.030.08
19000.120.130.13
19010.060.060.06
1902-0.08-0.08-0.05
1903-0.16-0.17-0.14
1904-0.2-0.27-0.22
1905-0.06-0.07-0.09
19060.04-0.01-0.02
1907-0.14-0.18-0.17
1908-0.19-0.21-0.24
1909-0.2-0.25-0.23
1910-0.17-0.21-0.18
1911-0.22-0.21-0.23
1912-0.12-0.14-0.13
1913-0.1-0.13-0.12
19140.080.060.06
19150.180.10.13
1916-0.06-0.11-0.09
1917-0.15-0.22-0.11
1918-0.01-0.060
19190.05-0.050.01
19200.07-0.030
19210.130.050.06
19220.02-0.05-0.02
19230.04-0.020
19240.03-0.03-0.04
19250.110.020.06
19260.210.140.15
19270.110.020.06
19280.110.030.04
1929-0.03-0.12-0.09
19300.180.080.11
19310.230.120.13
19320.180.060.09
19330.05-0.08-0.04
19340.190.080.1
19350.140.020.07
19360.170.060.09
19370.290.180.19
19380.310.190.17
19390.270.190.19
19400.330.330.3
19410.340.40.39
19420.290.270.35
19430.320.290.35
19440.460.430.49
19450.350.310.37
19460.250.150.19
19470.280.180.14
19480.280.120.14
19490.250.120.14
19500.150.040.03
19510.270.160.18
19520.350.230.22
19530.420.290.29
19540.190.070.08
19550.130.080.06
19560.050.020
19570.310.260.24
19580.370.290.31
19590.340.250.25
19600.270.20.22
19610.360.270.27
19620.330.260.29
19630.370.290.3
19640.10.020.05
19650.180.120.12
19660.250.170.17
19670.250.20.18
19680.210.140.17
19690.350.290.29
19700.290.250.24
19710.130.130.12
19720.260.230.23
19730.380.380.36
19740.110.140.13
19750.170.20.2
19760.080.110.12
19770.370.390.4
19780.260.290.31
19790.380.380.42
19800.410.490.46
19810.460.550.5
19820.330.360.38
19830.510.530.54
19840.310.380.35
19850.290.340.33
19860.370.40.43
19870.510.560.57
19880.520.630.57
19890.440.510.49
19900.620.660.63
19910.570.630.6
19920.430.440.45
19930.470.460.48
19940.530.530.53
19950.650.670.65
19960.50.560.52
19970.710.690.71
19980.860.840.83
19990.630.620.64
20000.610.620.62
20010.760.750.74
20020.820.840.8
20030.830.830.81
20040.770.750.77
20050.870.890.85
20060.830.830.81
20070.810.860.81
20080.720.730.74
20090.830.850.83
20100.880.920.89
20110.750.80.77
20120.790.830.81
20130.830.860.86
20140.90.950.94
20151.081.081.1
20161.121.21.14
201711.121.04
20180.921.040.98

This indicator shows three series measuring global mean near surface temperature deviations for the 1850-2018 period. 2015-2018 were the four warmest records in the series, with temperatures between 0.92o C and 1.04o C above 1850-1899 levels.

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1.4 World: Greenhouse gas emissions 1990-2018

This indicator shows greenhouse gas emissions for selected countries and regions specified in Annex 1 of the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change between 1990 and 2018.

EU emissions of greenhouse gases fell by 25% from 5.6 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent in 1990 to 4.2 billion tonnes in 2018. Russian Federation emissions fell by 30% from 3.2 billion tonnes in 1990 to 2.2 billion tonnes in 2018. Emissions from the USA were 6.7 billion tonnes in 2018 up 4% from 6.4 billion tonnes in 1990.

In contrast, emissions from Turkey grew by 138% from 219 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent in 1990 to 521 million tonnes in 2018.

Go to next chapter: Environmental Economy