The world population is expected to reach 8 billion in November, according to a report Monday from the United Nations’s Department of Economic and Social Affairs.
Population figures are up 1 billion just 11 years after the world passed 7 billion people. The new report said eight countries will be responsible for more than half of the births: The Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Tanzania. India is also predicted to surpass China as the most populated country in the world in 2023.
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U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the milestone is a reminder of the global responsibility to care for the planet and to care for each other.
“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,” Guterres said in prepared remarks for the report. “Reaching a global population of eight billion is a numerical landmark, but our focus must always be on people. In the world we strive to build, 8 billion people means 8 billion opportunities to live dignified and fulfilled lives.”
The milestone comes as the world is facing its slowest growth rate since 1950. Developing countries have seen a decrease in birth rates, and the United States has seen more young adults waiting longer to have children. This has shifted the average number of babies a woman in the U.S. will have from four children in the 1950s to two children in 2021.
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The U.S. also saw the smallest population growth rate in 2021 since the country’s founding, due in part to the mortality rate during the COVID-19 pandemic. The population in 2021 only increased 0.1%, which is fewer than 1 million people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
The U.N. also predicts the world population will cross 8.5 billion in 2030, 9.7 billion in 2050, and 10.4 billion in 2080.
