The ‘World Population Prospects 2022’ report says that India is projected to surpass China as the world’s most populous country
RH Desk
November 15
The world’s population is projected to reach eight billion people on Tuesday. According to the ‘World Population Prospects 2022’ report that was released on Tuesday, India is projected to surpass China as the world’s most populous country.
This unprecedented growth is due to the gradual increase in human lifespan owing to improvements in public health, nutrition, personal hygiene, and medicine. It is also the result of high and persistent levels of fertility in some countries, the UN report said
While it took the global population 12 years to grow from seven to eight billion, it will take approximately 15 years—until 2037— for it to reach 9 billion, a sign that the overall growth rate of the global population is slowing.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres termed it a milestone and an occasion to celebrate diversity.
“This year’s World Population Day falls during a milestone year when we anticipate the birth of the Earth’s eight billionth inhabitant. This is an occasion to celebrate our diversity, recognize our common humanity, and marvel at advancements in health that have extended life spans and dramatically reduced maternal and child mortality rates,” Guterres said.
The populations of 61 countries are projected to decrease by one percent or more between 2022 and 2050, due to low levels of fertility, and in some cases, elevated rates of emigration.
More than half of the projected increase in the global population up to the year 2050 will be concentrated in eight countries: the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines and the United Republic of Tanzania.
From the 19th century on, the population began to explode, due largely to the development of modern medicine and the industrialization of agriculture, which boosted global food supplies.
