People in 2025: Navigating Population Growth and the Quest for Connection

The State of Global Population in 2025

As of December 2025, the current world population is 8,260,956,701 according to the most recent United Nations estimates. This milestone represents continued growth, though population in the world is growing at a rate of around 0.85% per year in 2025 (down from 0.97% in 2020). The slowing growth rate signals a significant demographic transition that will shape societies for decades to come.

With the world population at 8.2 billion in 2025, new data from the World Bank and UN reveal shifting fertility rates, aging populations, and demographic transitions. Experts project world population to be about 9.6 billion in 2050, and about 10.2 billion in 2100, with population growth expected to peak around 2084 before beginning a gradual decline.

The Social Connection Crisis

Beyond numbers, people worldwide are grappling with an unexpected challenge: loneliness and social isolation. In June 2025, the World Health Assembly adopted the first-ever resolution on social connection, urging Member States to develop evidence-based policies to promote positive social connection. This historic move recognises social connection as a public health priority.

The statistics are alarming. Between 17–21% of individuals aged 13–29-year-olds reported feeling lonely, and about 24% of people in low-income countries reported feeling lonely — twice the rate in high-income countries. The health implications are severe: loneliness and social isolation increase the risk of stroke, heart disease, diabetes, and people who are lonely are twice as likely to get depressed.

Technology’s Double-Edged Sword

The rise of online spaces and artificial intelligence has altered socialization in 2025. Whilst digital tools offer new avenues for connection, people are meeting in person less often whilst remote contact has increased, though the well-being effects of this shift remain mixed. Young people and men are emerging as particularly vulnerable groups for poor social connection.

Building Stronger Communities

Solutions are emerging at multiple levels. Research shows that strong social bonds can protect against serious mental and physical health issues, and individuals with better social connections tend to live longer, healthier lives. Communities are responding through innovative approaches, from redesigning public spaces to implementing national strategies that prioritise human connection.

As we navigate demographic shifts and technological change, the message is clear: social connection can protect health across the lifespan, reduce inflammation, lower the risk of serious health problems, foster mental health, and prevent early death. For the 8.26 billion people on Earth, fostering meaningful connections may be as vital as addressing population trends themselves.