The UN has announced that the world’s population is projected to reach eight billion on November 15. The organisation also said two-thirds of the world’s population now live in a country or area with below-replacement fertility as fertility in the world is currently at its record low.
The information is in a statement released on Monday in New York by the UN to mark the 2022 World Population Day (WPD).
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that WPD was established by the Governing Council of the UN Development Programme in 1989. It is an annual event observed on July 11 to raise awareness on global population issues.
The day has as its theme for 2022.“A World of 8 billion: Towards a Resilient Future for All –Harnessing Opportunities and Ensuring Rights and Choices for All”.
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In a statement issued by the Media Associate of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) in Nigeria, Hajiya Kori Habib to NAN in Abuja on Monday, the world body stated that the world population figure is a milestone for humanity.
It also projected that India will be the world’s most populous country in 2023, surpassing China.
It added that a growing number of countries face population aging, while others have youthful and growing populations, as more people are on the move, either by choice or driven by crises ranging from conflict to climate change.
It stated that “understanding these shifts is critical to harnessing opportunities and mitigating potential downsides.
“Roughly two-thirds of the world’s population now live in a country or area with below-replacement fertility, or fewer than 2.1 births per woman. Fertility rates are at a historic low.”
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