Comment New projections from the United Nations Department of Social and Economic Affairs show that the world’s population is expected to reach 8 billion on November 15 — although population growth is at its lowest level in decades, falling below 1 percent a year 2020. The agency’s “World Population Prospects” report, released Monday, predicts that India will overtake China as the world’s most populous country by 2023 — a shift, in part, due to China’s aging population and history of birth restrictions. According to the local census of India, the country’s population was 1.21 billion in 2011. The government had postponed the 2021 census due to the coronavirus pandemic. In India, a debate over population control is turning explosive The population trends outlined in the report show that, in most parts of the world, death is outstripping life. The population of 61 countries is projected to decline by 1 percent or more between 2022 and 2050, with the exception of eight countries: the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Tanzania. Other recent studies conducted by the United Nations showed that by the end of the century, Africa will be the only continent to experience population growth, with 13 of the world’s 20 largest urban areas expected to be located there. How Africa will become the center of the global urban future With recent declines in fertility, countries in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean will continue to be dominated by a large share of working-age people between 25 and 64. This shift, coined the “demographic dividend,” indicates that countries are likely to experience accelerated per capita economic growth, although growing numbers of elderly residents could create problems in places where access to health care is sparse, as the burden will fall on working age citizens to take on the bulk of elderly care. “Rapid population growth makes it more difficult to eradicate poverty, fight hunger and malnutrition, and increase the coverage of health and education systems,” said Liu Zhenmin, UN Undersecretary for Economic and Social Affairs. “On the contrary, achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, especially those related to health, education and gender equality, will help reduce fertility levels and slow global population growth.” The coronavirus is also playing a role in stagnant population growth. From January 2020 to December 2021, 14.9 million people died from Covid-related problems, according to the World Health Organization. Global life expectancy fell to age 71 from 72.8 in 2019. Covid was also likely to cause short-term declines in pregnancies and births. And with more restrictions on cross-border activity, immigration rates have also plummeted – a key driver of population growth in developing countries.
