There is enough space in the world to produce the extra food needed to feed a growing population and contrary to expectation, most of it can be grown in Africa, say two international reports published this week.

As the world's reserves of oil and gas run out over the coming decades, the birth-rates of societies are likely to fall considerably, a US scientist says.

United Nations demographers who once predicted the earth's population would peak at 12 billion over the next century or two are scaling back their estimates. Instead, they cautiously predict, the world's population will peak at 10 billion before 2200, when it may begin declining.

The world\'s population may reach a peak of nine billion as early as 2070 and then start to shrink, according to a new analysis by Austrian researchers.