Rabat – The global population has reached eight billion today, Tuesday, November 15, representing a “milestone in human development,” the United Nations indicated in its latest World Population Prospects 2022.
Reaching this historic milestone is a “sign of human success, but it is also a great risk for our future,” said the Director of the UN’s population division John Wilmoth.
The UN report indicated that the global population is projected to reach around 8.5 billion in 2030, 9.7 billion in 2050, and 10.4 in 2100, attributing population growth to increased levels of life expectancy at birth.
The source added that half of the forecasted increase in population will be concentrated across eight nations: Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Tanzania.
In addition, the report predicted that India will replace China as the world’s most populated country in 2023.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that “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.”
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However, Guterres stressed that reaching eight billion people 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.”
World Population Prospects 2022 indicated that the rate of world population growth slowed to less than 1% growth rate in 2020, the slowest since 1950. The annual report added that fertility has significantly decreased across several countries in recent decades.
“The 46 least-developed countries are among the world’s fastest-growing,” added the report, warning that many nations are estimated to double in population between 2022 and 2050, “putting additional pressure on resources and posing challenges to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.”
