On World Population Day, July 11, UNFPA announced that the global population is projected to reach 8 billion by November 15, 2022, according to the World Population Prospects 2022 report released today (July 11) by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs.
“This moment, as the world reaches this significant milestone, is both a cause for celebration and a call to action for humanity to seek solutions to the challenges we face,” UNFPA emphasized.
The challenges humanity faces are urgent: “issues that can affect multiple generations, such as climate change, conflict, and COVID-19—these problems are causing uneven impacts on vulnerable and marginalized populations.”
The global population is projected to reach 8 billion by November 15, 2022. (Illustrative image).
To date, millions continue to live in poverty and malnutrition, lacking access to healthcare services and social protection, and unable to complete quality primary and secondary education.
Women around the world still do not have the basic right to make decisions about their bodies and futures, and we are witnessing a concerning regression in women’s rights in many countries.
An 8 billion world: To move towards a sustainable future for all, we must harness opportunities and ensure rights and choices for everyone.
The key message of World Population Day, July 11, 2022.
Despite many challenges ahead, the story behind the number 8 billion and the world reaching this important milestone is a story of success. We have reduced poverty rates and made significant progress in healthcare. The world has a larger population than ever before, partly due to increased life expectancy and decreased maternal and infant mortality rates.
UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Natalia Kanem stated: “This is a success story, not an apocalyptic scenario. Our world, despite all its challenges, is one where more people are educated and living healthily than at any other time in history.”
“Focusing solely on total population and growth rates is a shortcoming—and often leads to coercive and counterproductive measures that affect human rights. In fact, people are the solution, not the problem. Past experiences show that investing in people, their rights, and choices is the path to a peaceful, prosperous, and sustainable society,” Dr. Natalia Kanem said.
When the rights and choices of all individuals are protected so that everyone can live a healthy life and have empowerment and opportunities, humanity will hold the key to unlocking everyone’s potential, thereby addressing the challenges threatening society and other global issues….
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Key findings from the World Population Prospects 2022: 1. The global population is projected to peak at approximately 10.4 billion in the 2080s and remain at that level until 2100. It took about 12 years for the population to increase from 7 billion to 8 billion, roughly the same time it took to grow from 6 billion to 7 billion. The next billion is expected to take about 14.5 years (by 2037). 2. Half of the 8 billion people added to the global population is a result of demographic trends in Asia. Africa is the second-largest contributor (nearly 400 million people). 10 countries contributed more than half of the population growth from 7 billion to 8 billion. To date, India is the largest contributor, followed by China and Nigeria. 3. Today, 2/3 of the global population lives in a country or region with a fertility rate below 2.1 children per woman (known as the replacement level). The global average life expectancy reached 72.8 years in 2019, an increase of nearly 9 years since 1990. However, by 2021, the life expectancy in the least developed countries lagged 7 years behind the global average. In many developing countries, the proportion of the population of working age (25 to 64 years) is increasing. |
