Predictions for 2030 | Future timeline

Read 663 predictions for 2030, a year that will see the world transform in big and small ways; this includes disruptions throughout our culture, technology, science, health and business sectors. It’s your future, discover what you’re in for.

Quantumrun Foresight prepared this list; A trend intelligence consulting firm that uses strategic foresight to help companies thrive from future trends in foresight. This is just one of many possible futures society may experience.

Fast forecasts for 2030

  • Germany, Belgium, Denmark, and the Netherlands collectively produce 65 gigawatts of offshore wind energy. Likelihood: 60 percent1
  • By this year, up to 40% of high-street stores (compared to 2019) in Sweden and Finland faces closure due to e-commerce. Likelihood: 100 Percent1
  • Germany outlaws combustion fuel cars, permitting only sales of electric cars going forward. 1
  • India becomes the most populous country on Earth. 1
  • New Mini Ice Age to begin between 2030 to 2036. 1
  • Aquaculture provides the nearly two thirds of the world's seafood 1
  • Surgeons can reroute nerves to enable paralyzed people to use their hands 1
  • Scientists develop a flu vaccine that protects against all strains 1
  • Flying cars hit the road, and the air 1
  • Type 2 diabetes symptoms can be reversed with injection of the protein FGF1 1
  • Deafness solved by triggering sensory receptor regrowth in the Atoh1 gene1
  • Artificial blood is mass-produced for transfusions 1
  • Scientists successfully engineer yeast from scratch 1
  • Infrared-capturing graphene technology available in contact lenses 1
  • Doctors begin regularly analyzing patients' genetic susceptibility to drug side effects 1
  • India becomes the most populous country on Earth 1
  • Scientists drill into Earth's mantle 1
  • South Africa's "Jasper project" is fully built1
  • Kenya's "Konza City" is fully built1
  • Libya's "Great Man-Made River project" is fully built1
  • Share of global car sales taken by autonomous vehicles equals 20 per cent1
  • Average number of connected devices, per person, is 131
  • Largest age cohort for the United States population is 35-391
  • With the launch of the first autonomous air taxi service in the US this year, a significant percentage of new building construction going forward will incorporate air taxi landing pads, thereby helping to alleviate urban traffic congestion. (Likelihood 90%)1
  • Due to rising sea-levels, excess sea salt is beginning to salinize an estimated 125,000 hectares of Dutch soil, threatening crops and drinking water for the coming decade. Likelihood: 70%1
  • South Africa's new super radio telescope, the SKA, is fully operational. Likelihood: 70%1
  • Since 2019, digitization and automation advancements have added 1.2 million jobs in South Africa. Likelihood: 80%1
  • The capacity of offshore wind turbines is raised to 17 GW each from a previous maximum limit of 15 GW. Likelihood: 50%1
  • Germany fails to meet its European target of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 55% below 1990 levels. Likelihood: 80%1
  • The number of blockchain wallet users globally is set to increase to 200 million this year. Likelihood: 85%1
  • Globally, shifting to a low-carbon economy has created a $26 trillion growth opportunity since 2019. Likelihood: 60%1
  • Globally, shifting to a low-carbon economy has created 65 million new jobs since 2019. Likelihood: 60%1
  • Climate change and growing populations in India and Pakistan put too much stress on the Indus Basin, resulting in a severe drought, escalating tensions between the two nations. Likelihood: 60%1
  • 250 million children worldwide are classified as obese, increasing costs on local healthcare systems. (Likelihood 70%)1
  • China's Long March-9 rocket makes its first official launch this year, carrying a full payload of 140 tonnes into low-Earth orbit. With this launch, the Long March-9 rocket becomes the world's largest space launch system, significantly reducing the cost of deploying assets into Earth's orbit. Likelihood: 80%1
  • To combat urban traffic and pollution, select cities increasingly begin to ban traditional ICE vehicles from city centers, while promoting other forms of mobility like electric, hydrogen, scooters, shared use, etc. (Likelihood 80%)1
  • French demographist Emmanuel Todd predicts the level of literacy amongst the world population to reach near 100 percent by 2030. 1
  • European Space Agency's spacecraft JUICE is expected to enter the Jovian system. 1
  • Surgeons can reroute nerves to enable paralyzed people to use their hands. 1
  • Scientists develop a flu vaccine that protects against all strains. 1
  • Type 2 diabetes symptoms can be reversed with injection of the protein FGF1. 1
  • Artificial blood is mass-produced for transfusions. 1
  • Infrared-capturing graphene technology available in contact lenses. 1
  • Scientists successfully engineer yeast from scratch. 1
  • Doctors begin regularly analyzing patients' genetic susceptibility to drug side effects. 1
Fast Forecast
  • Germany outlaws combustion fuel cars, permitting only sales of electric cars going forward. 1
  • New Mini Ice Age to begin between 2030 to 2036. 1
  • Aquaculture provides the nearly two thirds of the world's seafood 1
  • Surgeons can reroute nerves to enable paralyzed people to use their hands 1
  • Scientists develop a flu vaccine that protects against all strains 1
  • Flying cars hit the road, and the air 1
  • Type 2 diabetes symptoms can be reversed with injection of the protein FGF1 1
  • Deafness solved by triggering sensory receptor regrowth in the Atoh1 gene 1
  • Artificial blood is mass-produced for transfusions 1
  • Scientists successfully engineer yeast from scratch 1
  • Infrared-capturing graphene technology available in contact lenses 1
  • Doctors begin regularly analyzing patients' genetic susceptibility to drug side effects 1
  • India becomes the most populous country on Earth 1
  • Scientists drill into Earth's mantle 1
  • Cost of solar panels, per watt, equals 0.5 US dollars 1
  • South Africa's "Jasper project" is fully built 1
  • Kenya's "Konza City" is fully built 1
  • Libya's "Great Man-Made River project" is fully built 1
  • World population forecasted to reach 8,500,766,000 1
  • Largest age cohort for the Chinese population is 40-44 1
  • Share of global car sales taken by autonomous vehicles equals 20 per cent 1
  • World sales of electric vehicles reaches 13,166,667 1
  • (Moore's Law) Calculations per second, per $1,000, equals 10^17 (one human brain) 1
  • Average number of connected devices, per person, is 13 1
  • Global number of Internet connected devices reaches 109,200,000,000 1
  • Predicted global mobile web traffic equals 234 exabytes 1
  • Global Internet traffic grows to 708 exabytes 1
  • Largest age cohort for the Brazilian population is 25-34 and 45-49 1
  • Largest age cohort for the Mexican population is 30-34 1
  • Largest age cohort for the Middle East population is 25-34 1
  • Largest age cohort for the African population is 0-4 1
  • Largest age cohort for the European population is 40-49 1
  • Largest age cohort for the Indian population is 15-19 1
  • Largest age cohort for the United States population is 35-39 1

Country forecasts for 2030

Read forecasts about 2030 specific to a range of countries, including:

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