The Lancet, vol. 384, no. 9945, 2014, pp. 730-732.
In 1950, only about a tenth of the world’s children lived in Africa. Within 50 years, that proportion almost doubled, and it is set to double again by the middle of the 21st century, leaving Africa with nearly a billion children younger than 18 years by 2050—37% of the worldwide total. By the end of the century, based on present trends, almost half of all children will live in Africa. This Commentary summarizes how this unprecedented growth in the continent’s child population came about, and its implications for Africa and the rest of the world as discussed in the Generation 2030 Africa report.