The forecast was based on population growth trends observed at the time and attempted to estimate when the world’s population might reach an unsustainable level.
However, the prediction is not considered a reliable forecast of a global catastrophe today. Population projections depend on a range of factors, including birth rates, death rates, life expectancy and changes in social and economic conditions.
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There is no scientific evidence that the world will end on November 13, 2026. The date’s coincidence with Friday the 13th has added to its attention online, but it has no scientific significance.
The prediction is best understood in the context of the demographic assumptions available when the study was conducted, rather than as a modern warning that humanity faces an imminent end.
