World population to hit 8 billion today

World’s population is projected to hit 8 billion on Tuesday (today), according to UN estimates, a major milestone as many parts of the world face plummeting growth rates and world leaders struggle to address pressing global issues i.e climate change, food security, aging populations and environmental destruction. 

According to World Population Prospects 2022, India will surpass China as the world's most populous country by 2023. The report was released on July 11— world population day. 

Currently, the global population is 7,999,959,816 and could grow to around 8.5 billion in 2030 and 9.7 billion in 2050. 

The report also says that half the population growth till 2050 will be concentrated in eight countries—Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines and Tanzania. 

"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," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is quoted as saying in the report.  

"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," he added.

The report has however stated that the fertility rate fell in 2022. About 61 nations will see a decline in population by 1% between 2022 and 2050 due to a drop in fertility rates and due to emigration.  

The population of ages 65 and above is projected to rise from 10% in 2022 to 16 % in 2050. Amid falling growth rates, global population projected to peak around 10.4 billion in the 2080s.