World population to reach 8.1 billion in 2025: UN

FILE - In this Nov. 16, 2010 file photo, Bangladeshi passengers sit on the roof and sides of an overcrowded train as others wait on the roof of a platform to try and catch a ride home to celebrate Eid al-Adha at a train station on the outskirts of Dhaka, Bangladesh. According to UN Population Fund (UNFPA) the world population will reach seven billion Oct. 31,2011. (AP Photo/Pavel Rahman, File)

A new U.N. report is forecasting that the world’s population will increase from 7.2 billion today to 8.1 billion in 2025 and 9.6 billion in 2050.

The report, released on Thursday, said most of the population growth will occur in developing regions which are projected to increase from 5.9 billion in 2013 to 8.2 billion in 2050.

During that same period, it said, the population of developed countries is expected to remain largely unchanged at around 1.3 billion people.

The report said much of the overall increase between now and 2050 is expected to take place in Africa and countries with large populations such as India, Indonesia, Pakistan, the Philippines and the United States.