UN: the world population has reached 8 billion people

This is reported by the United Nations and the UN Population Fund.

The world population is projected to reach 8 billion on 15 November 2022, with India surpassing China as the most populous country in 2023, according to World Population Prospects 2022, released today on World Population Day.

However, the UN reports that global population is still growing at the slowest rate since 1950, falling below 1% in 2020.

The latest UN projections show that the world's population could rise to around 8.5 billion in 2030 and 9.7 billion in 2050, peaking at around 10.4 billion during the 2080s and remaining at that level until 2100.

In addition, international institutions report that fertility in many countries has declined markedly in recent decades. Today, two thirds of the world's population lives in a country or area where lifetime fertility is below 2.1 births per woman, which is about the level required for zero growth in the long run for low mortality. The population of 61 countries is projected to decline by 1 per cent or more between 2022 and 2050 because of persistent low fertility and, in some cases, elevated fertility.