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Axios
Axios
World

The world is getting older and growing slower

Axios
Data: World Bank; Chart: Tory Lysik/Axios Visuals

The global population is surpassing 8 billion this week — despite slowing fertility rates and aging populations, according to the U.N.

What we're watching: The average human is older than they used to be. Earthlings' median age in 2022 is 30.2 years old compared to 20.6 in 1974 when the global population was half what it is today, according to Our World in Data.

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