8 Billion and Counting

A provocative description of the power of population change to create the conditions for societal transformation.

As the world nears 8 billion people, the countries that have led the global order since World War II are becoming the most aged societies in human history. At the same time, the world’s poorest and least powerful countries are suffocating under an imbalance of population and resources. In 8 Billion and Counting, political demographer Jennifer D. Sciubba argues that a deeper understanding of fertility, mortality, and migration trends points us toward the investments we need to make today to shape the future we want tomorrow.

Drawing from decades of research, policy experience, and teaching, Sciubba employs stories and statistics to explain how demographic trends, like age structure and ethnic composition, signal crucial signposts for future violence and peace, repression and democracy, poverty and prosperity. Provocative and engrossing, 8 Billion and Counting is required reading for business leaders, policymakers, and anyone eager to anticipate political, economic, and social risks and opportunities.

About the Author: Jennifer Sciubba is an associate professor of international studies at Rhodes College. She is a former demographics consultant to the US Department of Defense, and currently lives in Memphis, Tennessee.