UNFPA's State of World Population Report 2003, released last week, shows that Nepal's population more than doubled from 9.4 million in 1960, to 23.2 million in 2001. Nepal's current population of 25.2 million will double to 50.8 million by 2050, with an average growth rate of 2.2 percent. Forty-two percent of Nepalis are below 15 years, and nearly half the female population is within reproductive age. These are ominous statistics for the country's future demographic trends. UNFPA says adolescents between 10-19 years of age make up about 1.2 billion around the world. The world's population estimated at 6.3 billion will grow to 8.9 billion by 2050, with a spike in the developing countries of Africa, Asia and Latin America.