UN report
World population is growing – but at a slower pace
Crowds of people go shopping at a weekly market in Mumbai, India. The world population is growing – but at a slower pace. Photo: Ashish Vaishnav/SOPA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
Today is World Population Day – an occasion for the United Nations to put a spotlight on them.
The number of people on Earth is growing at a slower pace, according to a new UN report. “In 2020, the growth rate of the world population fell below one percent per year for the first time since 1950,” said the United Nations on today’s World Population Day in a new report that was previously available to the German Press Agency (dpa).
For John Wilmoth, Director of the UN Population Division, this global development – despite all regional differences – offers many opportunities, especially for developing countries. In addition to fighting poverty and hunger, this applies above all to the issue of education: fewer offspring increase the attention paid to each child. “When the average family size decreases, both families and societies will be able to invest more in each child, improve the quality of education and develop the human capital of the population,” Wilmoth told dpa.
Nevertheless, the UN expects that the world population will break the eight billion mark before the end of this year – probably around November 15th. By 2030, researchers predict there will be 8.5 billion people on the planet, and 9.7 by 2050, before a peak of 10.4 billion people in 2080, which is estimated to last until around 2100.