Population trends have always shaped the world, sparking terrible conflicts but also huge progress.

Today demographers believe we are at a turning point. Birth rates in much of developed world are falling fast, leaving many countries with too few young workers to support rapidly aging populations.

On the other hand, Africa is experiencing a population boom of an unprecedented scale, with numbers set to nearly double to 2.5 billion by 2050.

If managed well these trends could allow the world to reap a "population dividend" and fuel decades of improved living standards and sustained economic growth. But if handled badly growing discontent, uncontrolled migration and conflict are likely.

We’ve put together 13 charts that show how the world’s population is changing and how governments can influence those changes for good.

1. There are more people in the world than ever before

The world is currently home to 7.6 billion people, a figure that has tripled since the middle of the last century.

With roughly 83 million people (the number of people living in Germany) being added to the world’s population every year, the global population is set to reach 9.8 billion by 2050.