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 percentlink
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 Percentlink
Germany outlaws combustion fuel cars, permitting only sales of electric cars going forward. link
India becomes the most populous country on Earth. link
New Mini Ice Age to begin between 2030 to 2036. link
Aquaculture provides the nearly two thirds of the world's seafood link
Surgeons can reroute nerves to enable paralyzed people to use their hands link
Scientists develop a flu vaccine that protects against all strains link
Flying cars hit the road, and the air link
Type 2 diabetes symptoms can be reversed with injection of the protein FGF1 link
Deafness solved by triggering sensory receptor regrowth in the Atoh1 genelink
Artificial blood is mass-produced for transfusions link
Scientists successfully engineer yeast from scratch link
Infrared-capturing graphene technology available in contact lenses link
Doctors begin regularly analyzing patients' genetic susceptibility to drug side effects link
India becomes the most populous country on Earth link
Scientists drill into Earth's mantle link
South Africa's "Jasper project" is fully builtlink
Kenya's "Konza City" is fully builtlink
Libya's "Great Man-Made River project" is fully builtlink
Share of global car sales taken by autonomous vehicles equals 20 per centlink
Average number of connected devices, per person, is 13link
Largest age cohort for the United States population is 35-39link
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%)link
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%link
South Africa's new super radio telescope, the SKA, is fully operational. Likelihood: 70%link
Since 2019, digitization and automation advancements have added 1.2 million jobs in South Africa. Likelihood: 80%link
The capacity of offshore wind turbines is raised to 17 GW each from a previous maximum limit of 15 GW. Likelihood: 50%link
Germany fails to meet its European target of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 55% below 1990 levels. Likelihood: 80%link
The number of blockchain wallet users globally is set to increase to 200 million this year. Likelihood: 85%link
Globally, shifting to a low-carbon economy has created a $26 trillion growth opportunity since 2019. Likelihood: 60%link
Globally, shifting to a low-carbon economy has created 65 million new jobs since 2019. Likelihood: 60%link
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%link
250 million children worldwide are classified as obese, increasing costs on local healthcare systems. (Likelihood 70%)link
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%link
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%)link
French demographist Emmanuel Todd predicts the level of literacy amongst the world population to reach near 100 percent by 2030. link
European Space Agency's spacecraft JUICE is expected to enter the Jovian system. link
Surgeons can reroute nerves to enable paralyzed people to use their hands. link
Scientists develop a flu vaccine that protects against all strains. link
Type 2 diabetes symptoms can be reversed with injection of the protein FGF1. link
Artificial blood is mass-produced for transfusions. link
Infrared-capturing graphene technology available in contact lenses. link
Scientists successfully engineer yeast from scratch. link
Doctors begin regularly analyzing patients' genetic susceptibility to drug side effects. link

Germany outlaws combustion fuel cars, permitting only sales of electric cars going forward. link
New Mini Ice Age to begin between 2030 to 2036. link
Aquaculture provides the nearly two thirds of the world's seafood link
Surgeons can reroute nerves to enable paralyzed people to use their hands link
Scientists develop a flu vaccine that protects against all strains link
Flying cars hit the road, and the air link
Type 2 diabetes symptoms can be reversed with injection of the protein FGF1 link
Deafness solved by triggering sensory receptor regrowth in the Atoh1 gene link
Artificial blood is mass-produced for transfusions link
Scientists successfully engineer yeast from scratch link
Infrared-capturing graphene technology available in contact lenses link
Doctors begin regularly analyzing patients' genetic susceptibility to drug side effects link
India becomes the most populous country on Earth link
Scientists drill into Earth's mantle link
Cost of solar panels, per watt, equals 0.5 US dollars link
South Africa's "Jasper project" is fully built link
Kenya's "Konza City" is fully built link
Libya's "Great Man-Made River project" is fully built link
World population forecasted to reach 8,500,766,000 link
Largest age cohort for the Chinese population is 40-44 link
Share of global car sales taken by autonomous vehicles equals 20 per cent link
World sales of electric vehicles reaches 13,166,667 link
(Moore's Law) Calculations per second, per $1,000, equals 10^17 (one human brain) link
Average number of connected devices, per person, is 13 link
Global number of Internet connected devices reaches 109,200,000,000 link
Predicted global mobile web traffic equals 234 exabytes link
Global Internet traffic grows to 708 exabytes link
Largest age cohort for the Brazilian population is 25-34 and 45-49 link
Largest age cohort for the Mexican population is 30-34 link
Largest age cohort for the Middle East population is 25-34 link
Largest age cohort for the African population is 0-4 link
Largest age cohort for the European population is 40-49 link
Largest age cohort for the Indian population is 15-19 link
Largest age cohort for the United States population is 35-39 link