World population reaches eight billion today

The UN says that the global population has hit eight billion, in just 11 years after crossing the seven billion mark, which is seen as a milestone in human development. The UN has also projected that after the big boom in the second half of the 20th century, population growth will begin to slow down.

The latest estimates by the United Nations show that the global population could grow up to 8.5 billion in 2030, 9.7 billion in 2050, and 10.4 billion in 2100. In its annual World Population Prospects report, the UN mentioned that "The world's population continues to grow, but the pace of growth is slowing down."

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Population growth of any region is based on two factors, declining levels of mortality and life expectancy at birth. Globally, life expectancy has increased and reached 72.8 years in 2019, which is almost a 9-year of increment since 1990.On the other hand, further reductions in mortality will increase life expectancy to an average of 77.2 years globally in 2050.

Life expectancy at birth in males and females is taken into account separately; in 2019, female life expectancy exceeded male expectancy by 5.4 years globally. With female life expectancy standing at 73.8 years and male life expectancy at 68.4 years, female survival advantage is observed across all regions and countries.

The number of 8 billion may look promising but further projections by the UN shows that the global population is gradually slowing down. Though the global population took 12 years to reach 8 billion from 7 billion, it will take approximately 15 years for it to reach 9 billion.

The UN has also projected that India will surpass China as the world's most populous country in 2023. It has also been estimated that countries of sub-Saharan Africa are expected to continue to grow through 2100 and will contribute more than half of the global population increase of 2050.

The results ofthe UN report also show that the 46 least developed countries (LDCs) are among the world's fastest-growing unlike Latin America, Europe and Northern America, which are projected to reach their peak and then will begin to decline before 2100.

The effects of COVID-19 have also played a role in affecting components of population change, including fertility, mortality and migration. Global life expectancy at birth fell to 71.0 years in 2021 from 72.8 years in 2019, mostly due to the pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has also affected many data collection processes worldwide, which is why the UN has told countries to give priority to the national censuses, as such data will be critical in development planning and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

(With inputs from agencies)

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