Embracing the Significance of World Population Day

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Embracing the Significance of World Population Day

July 11th, 2024, Blog, News
World Population Day

The combination of births, deaths, and net international migration increases the U.S. population by one person every 24.2 seconds. The projected world population on Jan. 1, 2024, is 8,019,876,189, an increase of 75,162,541 (0.95%) from New Year’s Day 2023.*

As our population expands, the world becomes more interconnected, with each individual’s actions influencing the global landscape. Human growth, akin to technological advancement, is a key factor in shaping the future global economy. However, it’s crucial to note that the overall global population is currently declining, a trend that could significantly impact the future global economy.

The issue is not whether or how the population is growing or declining; the major concern is whether we are ready to create a cleaner, safer, and better environment for future generations.

We live in a different era, but our forefathers must not have imagined the current global crisis.

Numerous reasons for this are due to the decline in the fertility rate, and they distinctly state that the increased cost of living and significant gains in life expectancy have been achieved in recent years.

International Migration is a much smaller component of population change than births or deaths. However, in some countries and areas, the impact of migration on population size is significant, namely in countries that send or receive large numbers of economic migrants and those affected by refugee flows. 

According to a study by the United Nations, on 15 November 2022, the world’s population reached 8 billion people, a milestone in human development that underscores the gravity of the global population issue. While it took the global population 12 years to grow from 7 to 8 billion, it will take approximately 15 years—until 2037—to reach 9 billion, a sign that the overall growth rate of the global population is slowing. Yet levels of fertility remain high in some countries. Countries with the highest fertility levels tend to have the lowest income per capita. Global population growth has, therefore, become increasingly concentrated among the world’s poorest countries, most of which are in sub-Saharan Africa.

Countries like India and China, with their large populations, rank as the most populated countries and contribute significantly as leading manufacturers worldwide, showcasing the influence of population on economic power.

However, the figures in Europe are shrinking, and several countries are expected to see their populations decline by more than 15 percent by 2050, including Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Serbia, and Ukraine. Fertility in all European countries is now below the level required for total replacement of the population in the long run (around 2.1 children per woman). In the majority of cases, fertility has been below the replacement level for several decades.

A twist in the human race’s development is the fast growth of the African Continent. Over half of global population growth between now and 2050 is expected in Africa. Africa has the highest rate of population growth among significant areas.

Source: https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/

Source: https://www.un.org/en/
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