On November 15, 2022, the world’s population will reach 8 billion: there are both opportunities and challenges ahead

The theme of this year’s World Population Day, celebrated on July 11, is “a world of 8 billion. towards a sustainable future equal opportunities and rights for all”.

According to 2022 “World Population Prospects” report, which was published today by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), it is predicted that in 2022 On November 15, the world’s population will reach 8 billion. Reaching this milestone is both a cause for celebration and a call to humanity to find solutions to the challenges we face.

The challenges facing humanity are dire. Generational issues such as climate change, conflict and COVID-19 disproportionately affect the most vulnerable and marginalized. To this day, millions of people continue to live in poverty, suffer from hunger and malnutrition, lack health and social protection, and lack access to quality primary and secondary education. Women around the world are still denied the fundamental right to make decisions about their bodies and their futures, and we are seeing a worrying reversal of progress in women’s rights in many countries.

Despite these challenges, the story of 8 Billion and how we got here is one of triumph. We have reduced poverty and made significant progress in healthcare. There are more people today than ever before, in part because of increased life expectancy and decreased infant and maternal mortality.

In the run-up to November 2022, UNFPA will work with partners and communities to harness the power of 8 billion as part of our mission to achieve the goals set out in the MDG Plan of Action back in 1994. Protecting everyone’s right and choice to live healthy, empowered lives is humanity’s key to unlocking the unlimited potential of people around the world to address the challenges facing societies and the global issues that threaten us all.

This moment calls for both vision and action. Governments can pursue human-centered population policies with sexual and reproductive health and rights at the core. The private sector can develop creative solutions to harness the power of innovation and technology for the good of the world. Artists and creative people around the world can use their ingenuity and talent to inspire us and help us imagine the promise that a world of 8 billion people holds.

Together, we bring endless possibilities for action, growth and change. Creating a fairer and more sustainable world requires the world to move towards equal rights and opportunities for one and all.

In 2022 Key findings of the “World Population Prospects” report:

1. The world population is projected to reach 10.4 billion during the 2080s and remain at that level until 2100.

• It took about 12 years to get from 7 to 8 billion, about the same as it took to get from 6 to 7 billion. We are expected to reach the next billion in about 14.5 years (2037).

2. Half of the 8 billion added to the world’s population is the result of demographic growth in Asia. The contribution brought by Africa is the second largest (almost 400 million).

• 10 countries are responsible for more than half of the population growth from 7 to 8 billion. India was the largest contributor, followed by China and Nigeria.
• Africa and Asia will lead the way in population growth until reaching 9 billion in 2037.

3. Today, two-thirds of the world’s population lives in a country or area where the lifetime fertility rate is below 2.1 births per woman (simple reproduction).

• Life expectancy at birth reached 72.8 years in 2019, an improvement of almost 9 years since 1990. But in 2021, the average life expectancy of the least developed countries is 7 years behind the global average.
• In many developing countries, the proportion of the population of working age (25 to 64 years) has increased.

Full text in Armenian