The global population is projected to hit eight billion people next Thursday, and India will surpass China as the world’s most populous country in 2023, according to the World Population Prospects 2022. .“This is an occasion to celebrate our diversity, recognize our common humanity, and marvel at advancements in health that have extended lifespans and dramatically reduced maternal and child mortality rates,” said United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in a press release. .“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 data said the global population is growing at its slowest rate since 1950, having fallen under 1% in 2020. It said the population could grow to about 8.5 billion in 2030 and 9.7 billion in 2050..The world is estimated to have 10.4 billion people during the 2080s and to remain at this level until 2100..The data went on to say two-thirds of the global population lives in a country where lifetime fertility is below 2.1 births per woman, the level required for zero growth for a population with low mortality. It added the populations of 61 countries are projected to decrease by 1% or more between 2022 and 2050 because of low fertility levels and high emigration rates..More than half of the increase in the global population up to 2050 will be in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Tanzania. Sub-Saharan African countries are expected to contribute more than half of the increase anticipated through 2050..“The relationship between population growth and sustainable development is complex and multidimensional,” said UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs Liu Zhenmin. .“Rapid population growth makes eradicating poverty, combatting hunger and malnutrition, and increasing the coverage of health and education systems more difficult.”.The data said most Sub-Saharan African countries and parts of Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean have seen their working age populations increase because of recent reductions in fertility. It said this shift in age distribution provides an opportunity for accelerated economic growth. .The share of the global population 65 years old and over is projected to rise from 10% in 2022 to 16% in 2050. The UN recommends countries with ageing populations adopt policies such as universal health care and long-term care systems and improving the sustainability of social security and pension systems to meet their needs. .Global life expectancy at birth reached 72.8 years in 2019, an improvement of nine years since 1990. Further reductions in mortality are expected to bring life expectancy to 77.2 years in 2050. .The data concluded by saying the COVID-19 pandemic affected population change. Global life expectancy at birth fell to 71 years in 2021..“Nevertheless, the cumulative effect of lower fertility, if maintained over several decades, could be a more substantial deceleration of global population growth in the second half of the century,” said UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs Director of the Population Division John Wilmoth.
