Bhubaneswar: The global population will hit the 8-billion mark on Tuesday (November 15), and India is projected to surpass China as the world’s most populous country in 2023, the World Population Prospects 2022 released on World Population Day said.
At present, the world population is 7,999,959,816. The report also suggests that the global population could grow to around 8.5 billion in 2030 and peak at around 10.4 billion in the 2080s.
“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 Antonio Guterres.
He added, “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.”
The United Nations has said the global population will increase up to 2050 and will be concentrated in eight countries, including India and Pakistan. “Countries of sub-Saharan Africa are expected to contribute more than half of the increase anticipated through 2050.”
Notably, the global population is growing at its slowest rate since 1950, having fallen under 1 per cent in 2020. Fertility has fallen markedly in recent decades for many countries, the report said adding that populations of 61 countries or areas are projected to decrease by 1 per cent or more between 2022 and 2050.
Also, the number of persons aged 65 years will be more than twice the number of children under age 5 and about the same as the number under age 12 by 2050.
With global life expectancy at birth reaching 72.8 years in 2019, which is an improvement of almost nine years since 1990, the reductions in mortality are projected to result in an average global longevity of around 77.2 years in 2050. Yet in 2021, life expectancy for the least developed countries lagged 7 years behind the global average, it added.
