The world’s population is expected to reach eight billion on November 15, according to the United Nations forecast report on Monday that also said India will surpass China as the earth’s most populous country in 2023.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres without citing specifics said that the overall population milestone “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.”
“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,” Guterres added.
The world’s population is growing at its slowest pace since 1950, the forecast by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs said.
In 2030, the population is expected to hit by 8.5 billion and 9.7 billion in 2050, surging at around 10.4 billion people in the 2080s before steadying at that level until 2100.
While there is net drop in birth rates in several developing countries, over half of the rise forecast in the population of the earth in the coming decades will be concentrated in eight countries– Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines and Tanzania, according to the report.
(Inputs from AFP)
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Rabia Shireen is a Staff Reporter at The Cognate.
