Global urbanization
The world’s megacities are merging into megaregions stretching hundreds of kilometers, home to more than 100 million people (Guardian). Cities are gaining an average of 5 million new residents every month, and within two decades nearly 60% of the world’s population will be urban dwellers.
Demography of China
It’s no surprise, then, that China’s urban population is expected to surpass 700 million in the next five years, exceeding the number of rural dwellers for the first time, according to its top population official (MSNBC). However, China’s population is also aging: figures from the National Population and Family Planning Commission estimate that those aged 60 and over would top 200 million people, or 19% (1 out of 5) of the general population (Shanghaiist). As the young flock to the cities in search of work, the urban-rural divide has grown ever sharper: inland villages and towns are home to grandparents and young children, while the able-bodied head to the cities, where they are stifled by the hukou registration system that deprives them of rights to basic services.
Generations
- How Millennials Perceive a New Generation Gap
- 79 million baby boomers enter retirement: What it could mean for the market in the USA.
Shifting demand for oil
India as biotechnology producer
- With High Skills and Low Prices, India Expands Role as Global Drug Producer: to over $24 billion in sales in 2010 (NYT).
Denominational trends
- Presbyterian Church USA down by 50 percent since 1965.
Growing divide between rich and poor
- The world’s total gross domestic product shrank by 2% in 2009 (WSJ)
- The number of millionaires rose by 17% to touch 10 million.
- Their aggregate wealth rose by 19% to $39 trillion.
- The number of millionaires in India grew to 126,000.
- The number of millionaires in the Asia-Pacific region totals 3 million, equaling Europe. Their wealth grew by nearly a third to $9.7 trillion dollars, surpassing Europe’s $9.5 trillion (Businessweek)
- The largest chunk of the world’s wealthiest is still concentrated in the US, Japan and Germany, which together account for more than half of the “high net worth individuals.”
- Crisis deepens Middle East poverty, says report. Many regions have seen a decline in those living in absolute poverty. Between 1990 and 2005 declines were posted in: Africa, 58% to 51%; South Asia, 49% to 39%; Southeast Asia, 39% to 19%; East Asia, 60% to 16%; Latin America, 11% to 8%; Europe, 2% to 0.3%. Two regions have seen marked increases: West Asia (-stans), 6% to 19%; Middle East, 2% to 6%.
- Wealthy individuals in Middle East regain ground. Despite this increasing poverty, the Middle East also had increasing riches: the total “number of “high net worth individuals” rose to 400,000 and their combined wealth increased 5% to $1.5 trillion.
