Latest News

Earth Now Has 8 Billion People, UN Stresses Shared Responsibility Of Protecting People & Planet

Earth Has 8 Billion People As Of 15 Nov, Rate Of Growth Slowing

Earth is now officially home to over eight billion people, announced the United Nations (UN) on Tuesday (15 Nov).

Source: Mauro Mora on Unsplash

In a statement, the UN said this is a milestone in human development. Improvements in public health have lowered the risk of death and increased life expectancy, allowing the human race to grow.

However, UN Secretary General António Guterres said, “Unless we bridge the yawning chasm between the global haves and have-nots, we are setting ourselves up for an eight-billion-strong world filled with tensions and mistrust, crisis and conflict”.

Earth has 8 billion people now as of 15 Nov

On Tuesday (15 Nov), the world’s population exceeded the eight-billion milestone.

Even though it took about 12 years for the world population to grow from seven to eight billion, the growth rate is apparently slowing down.

The UN projects it will take about 14.5 more years before the world population increases by another billion. This is slated to happen in 2037.

From there, the population is expected to peak at around 10.4 billion people in the 2080s. It is then projected to stay at those levels until 2100.

The UN reported that of the one billion people most recently added to the world population, about 70% were from low-income and middle-income countries.

Moving forward, these groups of countries are projected to account for over 90% of the growth that will bring the world population from eight billion to nine billion.

According to the UN, two-thirds of the world’s population now lives in a “low fertility context” where the lifetime fertility rate lies below 2.1 births per woman.

 

Meanwhile, population growth has become “increasingly concentrated” among the poorest countries, most of which are in sub-Saharan Africa.

India to overtake China for most populated country

Most of the population growth reportedly stems from Asia and Africa, both of which are expected to drive the ‘next billion’.

Interestingly, as of 2022, over half the world’s population live in Asia. The region has gained some 700 million people since 2011, reports The Straits Times (ST).

The biggest contributors to this are India and China, both with populations of about 1.4 billion people.

But China’s population is no longer growing and may decline as early as 2023.

India, which is still growing at 0.7% a year, is set to surpass China as the world’s most populous country.

Shared responsibility in protecting people & earth as population hits 8 billion

Beyond the numbers, Mr Guterres said this is also a clarion call for humanity to meet its shared responsibility of protecting people and the planet. This should start with those who are most vulnerable.

He warns that unless the chasm between global haves and have-nots is met, we are setting ourselves up for a world filled with tension, mistrust, crisis, and conflict.

According to CNN, experts shared that rapid population growth, coupled with climate change, is also likely to cause mass migration and conflict in the future.

As the world’s population grows and resources get increasingly scarce, a shift in consumption patterns may also become more vital than ever.

At the same time, African nations, which populations are expected to boom, are among those most vulnerable to climate change.

The UN said there is a need to mitigate the world’s challenges and achieve sustainable development goals while prioritising human rights.

This requires increased investment from member states.

Donor governments are also needed in policies and programmes that work to make the world safer, more sustainable, and more inclusive.

Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.

Featured image adapted from Mauro Mora on Unsplash.

Sabrina Seng

Sabrina is always facing some form of existential crisis but other than that, she's pretty chill.

Recent Posts

Underage teen in S’pore buries stillborn in house yard, police digs up bones during investigation

The coroner said this was the first case of its kind he had encountered in…

23 Dec 2024, 7:05 pm

M’sia Airlines grounds new Airbus just days after maiden flight, cites technical issues

The brand-new jet suffered a series of technical issues since its first-ever flight on 19…

23 Dec 2024, 6:17 pm

Family in S’pore finds snake on side view mirror mid-drive, netizens quip ‘Snake Year is coming’

The Paradise Tree Snake may have misjudged its landing and ended up on the car.

23 Dec 2024, 4:48 pm

69-year-old man dies after fight with 71-year-old neighbour over bumping into each other

The 69-year-old was reportedly upset over his neighbour's refusal to apologise.

23 Dec 2024, 4:33 pm

Bloomberg issued POFMA order over S’pore GCB transactions article, Govt addresses ‘falsehoods’

False claims include that GCB transactions occur without government checks on beneficial owners' identities.

23 Dec 2024, 3:35 pm

Woman set on fire aboard New York subway train, suspect allegedly watches her burn

The suspect casually watched as the woman became consumed by flames.

23 Dec 2024, 3:14 pm