The United Nations has projected the world’s population to reach eight billion by November 15 this year in a statement released on Monday to mark the 2022 World Population Day.
World Population Day was established by the Governing Council of the UN Development Programme in 1989. The event is held annually on July 11 to create awareness on global population issues.
‘A World of 8 Billion: Towards a Resilient Future for All — Harnessing Opportunities and Ensuring Rights and Choices for All’ is the theme for this year’s World Population Day 2022.
The statement also remarkably projects India to be the world’s most populous country in 2023, a feat that would see it surpass China. It also added that many countries would suffer population ageing, while many others would enjoy youthful and growing populations, as the rate of migration increases due to economic and climate factors.
“Understanding these shifts is critical to harnessing opportunities and mitigating potential downsides. Roughly two-thirds of the world’s population now live in a country or area with below-replacement fertility or fewer than 2.1 births per woman,” UNFPA explained and added that fertility rates are currently at an all-time high.
