The day of 8 billion, which will be a major milestone in human development, is falling on Tuesday, November 15. It is the day on which the aggregate world population is expected to reach the mark of 8 billion people. This projection was revealed in the United Nation’s World Population Prospectus 2022. The prospectus was released on World Population Day, which fell on July 11. However, it began garnering widespread attention only recently with the day of 8 billion fast approaching.
Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, said the milestone “is an occasion to celebrate diversity and advancements while considering humanity’s shared responsibility for the planet.”
This phenomenal growth in the human population is due to the gradual boost in human lifespan, courtesy of the improvements in healthcare technology, personal hygiene, and food security. A chunk of the population spurt is also because of some countries’ high and persistent fertility levels.
While the global population is growing in number, the rate of growth has been slowing down over the decades. Data suggests that it took the global population 12 years to jump from 7 to 8 billion. However, it will take approximately 15 years for the number of people worldwide to reach 9 billion.
The UN’s latest projections suggest that by 2030, the global population could grow by half a billion to reach 8.5 billion. The population is expected to reach 9.7 billion in 2050 and further balloon up to 10.4 billion in 2100.
Interestingly, the global population rate fell under 1 percent for the first time since 1950 in 2020. It is expected that the world’s population will peak at around 10.4 billion people during the 2080s, remaining at that level until 2100.
Data also suggests that India’s population will surpass China during 2023, making India the most populous country in the world.
The prospectus highlighted other trends as well. It said that in 2021, the average fertility of the world’s population was at 2.3 births per woman over a lifetime. The number is significantly lower than the average of 5 births per woman in 1950. According to World Bank, India’s fertility rate is lower than the global average, with the latest estimate putting it at 2.1 births per woman over a lifetime. Global fertility is expected to drop to 2.1 births per woman by 2050.
Rapid population growth comes with its own set of challenges. Resources are stretched thin, impacting the quality of services people receive. For instance, resources have to be pushed towards ensuring everyone receives some food, drawing them away from efforts to guarantee the quality of food.
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