Washington: The Earth is going to have 11 billion people by 2100, with the rising population exacerbating global problems such as climate change, spread of infectious diseases and poverty, says a significant joint study by the United Nations and the University of Washington.

There is, however, a silver lining for the Indian subcontinent: Asia, now with a 4.4 billion population, is projected to peak at around five billion people in 2050 and then begin to decline.