Will the number of humans on Earth drop drastically by 2100?

The world population is likely to be halved by 2100 to four billion people, a report suggests. Photo: AFP

How many people will be living on planet Earth by 2100? According to the highest estimates of the United Nations, there will be nearly 15 billion of us at the beginning of the next century.

The middle scenario hovers around 10 billion and the lowest scenario projects eight billion. These results are challenged by a report from HSBC Global Research and economist James Pomeroy.