On 15 November 2022, the world’s population is expected to reach 8 billion people – a milestone in human development. This unprecedented growth is due to increased life expectancy, thanks to advances in public health, nutrition, personal hygiene and medicine. It is also a consequence of sustained high levels of fertility in some countries.
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In just twelve years the world’s population has grown from 7 billion to 8 billion. It is estimated that it will take fifteen years – in 2037 – to reach 9 billion, a sign that growth has slowed.
The countries with the highest fertility rates tend to be those with the lowest per capita incomes. Global population growth has been concentrated in the poorest countries, most of which are in sub-Saharan Africa. In these countries, rapid and sustained population growth can impede the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – which remain the best path to a happy and healthy future.
Achieving the Paris Agreement goals to limit global temperature rise, while also achieving the SDGs, depends critically on the ability to curb unsustainable patterns of production and consumption. Slower population growth over the coming decades would also help mitigate further accumulation of environmental damage in the second half of the current century.
The UN Population Fund’s (UNFPA) #EightBillionStronger campaign
Provides educational materials on eight trends in a world of 8 billion people: slowing growth, fewer children, longer lives, people on the move, population ageing, women outliving men, two pandemics and changing course.