UNITED NATIONS — U.N. population experts project the number of world’s people will grow to 9.3 billion by 2050 and 10.1 billion by 2100.

The projections released Tuesday are used by the United Nations to devise and fund programs for problems ranging from climate change to maternal mortality.

U.N. Population Division Director Hania Zlotnik says the projections depend on expected fertility rates.The global population is projected to hit 7 billion later this year.