The United Nations has projected the world’s population will reach 8 billion on November 15. The international body attributed the rise in population to a gradual increase in human lifespan due to improvements in public health, nutrition, personal hygiene, and medicine. The UN also mentioned that a rise in population is due to improved fertility levels in some countries.
The UN further said while it took 12 years for the global population to go from 7 billion to 8 billion, it will take around 15 years until 2037 for it to reach 9 billion. Its latest projections further stated that the world population could grow to nearly 8.5 billion in 2030, 9.7 billion in 2050, and 10.4 billion in 2100.
More than half of the projected increase in global population till 2050 will be concentrated in Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Tanzania. Going by these estimates, India is projected to cross China as the world’s most populous country during 2023.
The most populous regions include Eastern and South-Eastern Asia with 2.3 billion people and Central and Southern Asia with 2.1 billion people. These regions are followed by China and India with a population of over 1.4 billion each.
Commenting on the unprecedented rise in population, UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres noted, “The milestone is an occasion to celebrate diversity and advancements while considering humanity’s shared responsibility for the planet.”
Global population growth has become increasingly concentrated among the world’s poorest countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Rapid population growth in these countries can impact the achievement of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adversely.
(With agency inputs)
