The world population is projected to reach 8 billion on November 15, 2022, with India overtaking China as the world's most populous country by 2023, according to the World Population Prospects 2022, released today on World Population Day.
“This year, World Population Day marks a milestone, in which the Earth will host, for the first time, eight billion people. This is an occasion to celebrate our diversity, recognize our common humanity and marvel at the advances in health that have extended life expectancy and dramatically reduced maternal and infant mortality rates,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres. “In turn, it is a reminder of our shared responsibility to care for our planet and a time to reflect on where we still fall short of our commitments to one another,” he added.
The world population is growing at its slowest annual rate since 1950, down less than 1 percent in 2020. The latest projections from the United Nations suggest that the world population could reach around 8.5 billion in 2030 and 9.7 billion in 2050. It is projected to peak at around 10.4 billion people during the 2080s and remain at that level until 2100.
The World Population Prospects 2022 report also indicates that fertility has declined markedly in recent decades in many countries. Currently, two-thirds of the world's population lives in a country or area where lifetime fertility is less than 2.1 births per woman, the approximate level for reaching zero long-term growth in populations with mortality short. The population of 61 countries or areas is projected to decline by 1% or more between 2022 and 2050, due to their persistently low levels of fertility and, in some cases, their high emigration rates.
More than half of the projected global population increase to 2050 will be concentrated in eight countries: Egypt, Ethiopia, India, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines and the United Republic of Tanzania. Sub-Saharan African countries are expected to contribute more than half of projected global population growth to 2050.
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