Today, on the 15th November, the population of the Earth reached 8 billion.
On this occasion, the Secretary General of the United Nations, António Guterres, made a statement:
"The world’s population will reach 8 billion in the middle of November – a testament to scientific breakthroughs and improvements in nutrition, public health and sanitation. But as our human family grows larger, it is also growing more divided. [...]
"The facts speak for themselves. A handful of billionaires control as much wealth as the poorest half of the world. The top one percent globally pocket one fifth of the world’s income, while people in the richest countries can expect to live up to 30 years longer than those in the poorest. [...]
"The war in Ukraine is adding to ongoing food, energy and finance crises, hitting developing economies hardest. These inequalities take their greatest toll on women and girls, and on marginalized groups that already suffer discrimination."
In 2023, India is set to take over from China as the world's largest population. However, India's population growth has been dramatically slowing, with an average of 1.7% increase per year for the years 2001-2011 dropping to 1.2% for 2011-2021.
India's population is at present 1.36 billion, while China's is 1.4 billion. Together the two countries represent a third of the world's population.
Sources: un.org, Reuters, PAP
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