Best Strategy Advisors

The global population is projected to increase by approximately 1.4 billion people by 2050, with nearly all net growth occurring in sub-Saharan Africa, according to United Nations’ World Population Projections.

The ten fastest-growing countries are all located in this region, with notable growth rates:
- Democratic Republic of the Congo: +83.4%
- Central African Republic: +92.6%
- Sudan: +64.9%

In contrast, several large advanced and Eastern European economies are expected to experience significant population declines, including:
- China: -11%
- Japan: -14.6%
- Italy: -12.3%
- South Korea: -12.6%
- Ukraine: -17.9%
- Latvia: -18.3%
- Bulgaria: -19.5%
- Lithuania: -20.2%
- Moldova: -21.5%

India continues to grow at +14.7%, solidifying its status as the world’s most populous country throughout the 2025-2050 period.

Are there are any reasons not to believe the projections?

Future

In 2025, EU countries granted protection status to 361’325 asylum seekers, an 18% decrease compared with 2024. Most were from:
Afghanistan (27% of the total number granted protection status in the EU), Venezuela (16%), Syria and Ukraine (both 5%).

Among the 5 citizenships with the highest number of first instance decisions in 2025, the highest recognition rates (the share of all positive decisions among the total number of decisions) were for Venezuelans (92%), Afghans
(73%) and Turks (13%).

For final instance decisions following an appeal or review, Syrians (67%), Afghans (36%) and Iraqis (18%) had the highest recognition rates.

The relatively high number of Venezuelans receiving asylum or other forms of protection in the EU comes down to a mix of conditions in Venezuela and how European asylum systems classify those conditions.

Over the past decade, Venezuela has faced a combination of economic collapse, political repression, and humanitarian hardship, including hyperinflation and widespread poverty, shortages of food, medicine, and basic services.

In the EU, people don’t need to prove only classic political persecution (like being jailed for dissent). They can also qualify if returning home would expose them to inhuman or degrading treatment, serious harm due to generalized violence, and lack of access to essential survival needs

Many Venezuelan applicants are granted subsidiary protection rather than full refugee status, which still counts as a positive asylum decision.

Any thoughts on why Afghans are right at the very top of the ranking❓👇

Rare earth elements (REEs)
- a group of 17 metals crucial for electronics, renewable energy, and defense - are actually found all over the world, but economically viable concentrations are much more limited.

China has by far largest reserves and is dominant producer - controls a major share of mining and processing, accounting for ~60–70% of global
production.

Even though rare earths are globally distributed, China dominates refining and separation, which is the most complex and environmentally challenging step. Many countries mine ores but send them to China for processing.

Does money buy happiness? The world’s richest countries generate impressive income per person, yet some of the wealthiest nations fall surprisingly short in life satisfaction.

Liechtenstein leads the GDP (PPP) per capita ranking at over $206’000 per capita, followed by Singapore and Luxembourg. Other small, globally connected economies like Ireland and Macao SAR also dominate the top 10. Energy-rich nations such as Qatar and Brunei are near the top as well. The US ranks 11th at approximately $93’000 per person, with European countries making up a majority of the top 20.

However, being wealthy does not guarantee happiness. Finland tops the happiness rankings with a score of 7.7, closely followed by Denmark and Iceland. Nordics consistently excel in happiness, reflecting strong social safety nets, high trust in institutions, and broad access to public services.

Interestingly, Costa Rica and Mexico rank in the top 10 for happiness despite having much lower GDP per capita compared to many European nations. Conversely, ultra-wealthy countries like Singapore and Qatar do not make the top 20 for happiness.

Only a few countries rank highly in both wealth and happiness, including Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Ireland, and the Netherlands. This overlap is particularly pronounced in Northern Europe, where high productivity is paired with robust welfare systems, universal healthcare, and relatively low income inequality.

Does money really buy happiness? What do you think?

Happiness

Most projections estimate that the world population will reach 10 billion around the year
2058–2060. This estimate mainly comes from the United Nations (UN) population projections, which are considered the global standard.

At the same tome, a popular misconception is that the global population is growing exponentially. But it’s not👇

While the global population is still increasing in absolute numbers, population growth peaked decades ago. In the chart below, we see the global population growth rate per year. This is based on historical UN’s estimates and its medium projection to 2100.

Global population growth peaked in the 1960s at over 2% per year. Since then, rates have more than halved, falling to less than 1%.

Population is still increasing, but at a declining rate due to: lower birth rates in many countries, increased access to education (especially for women), urbanization and changing lifestyles, aging populations in developed regions.