‘Granny Glut’ Foreseen

Declining birth rates have eased concerns about the global baby boom, but now scientists have identified another force behind population growth: The “granny glut.”

European researchers say the world’s population will top 10 billion by the middle of the next century, with the fastest growth among older populations.

As life expectancy improves, the proportion of people over age 60 will double to 20 percent by 2050 and soar to 27 percent by 2100, Wolfgang Lutz and colleagues say in the June 19 issue of Nature.