NEW YORK - The global population is projected to reach 8 billion as of Tuesday, November 15. India is projected to surpass China as the world’s most populous country 2023, according to World Population Prospects 2022.
“This year’s World Population Day falls during a milestone year, when we anticipate the birth of the Earth’s eight billionth inhabitant. This is an occasion to celebrate our diversity, recognise our common humanity, and marvel at advancements in health that have extended lifespans and dramatically reduced maternal and child mortality rates,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
“At the same time, it is a reminder of our shared responsibility to care for our planet and a moment to reflect on where we still fall short of our commitments to one another,” he added.
According to a release by the UN, the global population is growing at its slowest rate since 1950, the latest projections reveal that the population could grow to around 8.5 billion in 2030 and 9.7 billion by 2050. It is expected to reach 10.4 billion individuals in the 2080s.
The World Population Prospects 2022 states that the fertility market has dropped in recent times. The decrease is projected to drop due to sustained low levels of fertility and in some cases, elevated rates of emigration.
Majority of the population increase by 2050 is expected to be concentrated in eight countries: Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines and Tanzania.
The pandemic caused a major effect to three components of the population change, the pandemic restricted all forms of human mobility including international migration.
“Further actions by governments aimed at reducing fertility would have little impact on the pace of population growth between now and mid-century, because of the youthful age structure of today’s global population.
“Nevertheless, the cumulative effect of lower fertility, if maintained over several decades, could be a more substantial deceleration of global population growth in the second half of the century,” said John Wilmoth, Director of the Population Division of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs.