According to news agency PTI, a United Nations report released on Monday said the world population is likely to reach eight billion mark by mid-November 2022. The report, noticeably, also projected India to surpass China as the world’s most populous country next year. The projections were released by the World Population Prospects 2022 by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division.
The report said the global population is projected to reach eight billion on November 15, 2022. With a fall below one per cent in 2020, the world population is growing at its slowest rate since 1950.
According to the UN’s latest predictions, the world’s population could grow to around 8.5 billion in 2030 and 9.7 billion in 2050.
During the 2080s, the report projected, the world population will reach a peak of around 10.4 billion people. It is projected to remain at that level until 2100.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres said: “This year’s World Population Day (July 11) falls during a milestone year, when we anticipate the birth of the Earth’s eight billionth inhabitant. This is an occasion to celebrate our diversity, recognise our common humanity, and marvel at advancements in health that have extended lifespans and dramatically reduced maternal and child mortality rates.”
“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,” Guterres added.
“India is projected to surpass China as the world’s most populous country during 2023,” the report said. In 2022, Eastern and South-Eastern Asia and Central and Southern Asia were two most populated region. Eastern and South-Eastern Asia, with 2.3 billion people, represented 29 per cent of the global population, whereas Central and Southern Asia, with 2.1 billion, represented 26 per cent of the total world population.
According to the report, in 2022, India has population of 1.412 billion, while China’s population stands at 1.426 billion.
With India surpassing China as most populous country next year, it is projected to have a population of 1.668 billion in 2050. China, on the other hand, is projected to have 1.317 billion people by the middle of the century.
Ten countries experienced a net outflow of more than 1 million migrants between 2010 and 2021, the report estimated.
These outflows, in many countries, were due to temporary labour movements, such as for Pakistan (net outflow of -16.5 million during 2010-2021), India (-3.5 million), Bangladesh (-2.9 million), Nepal (-1.6 million) and Sri Lanka (-1 million).
As an independent media platform, we do not take advertisements from governments and corporate houses. It is you, our readers, who have supported us on our journey to do honest and unbiased journalism. Please contribute, so that we can continue to do the same in future.
