The global population has reached 8 billion on Tuesday, and according to World Population Prospects 2022, India is projected to surpass China as the world’s most populous country in 2023.
“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 lifespans and
dramatically reduced maternal and child mortality rates,” said UN Secretary-General
António Guterres.
“At the same time, it is a reminder of our shared
responsibility to care for our planet and a moment to reflect on where we still
fall short of our commitments to one another,” he added.
According to the United Nations, the global population is
growing at its slowest rate since 1950, having fallen under 1 per cent in 2020.
The latest projections by the United Nations suggest that the world’s
population could grow to around 8.5 billion in 2030 and 9.7 billion in 2050. It
is projected to reach a peak of around 10.4 billion people during the 2080s and
to remain at that level until 2100.
Furthermore, the report by World Population Prospects 2022
also states that fertility has fallen markedly in recent decades for many
countries. Today, two-thirds of the global population lives in a country or
area where lifetime fertility is below 2.1 births per woman, roughly the level
required for zero growth in the long run for a population with low mortality.
The populations of 61 countries or areas are projected to decrease by 1 per
cent or more between 2022 and 2050, owing to sustained low levels of fertility
and, in some cases, elevated rates of emigration.
It’s predicted that eight countries, namely, Democratic
Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the
Philippines and the United Republic of Tanzania, and countries of sub-Saharan
Africa are expected to contribute more than half of the increase anticipated
through 2050.
“The relationship between population growth and sustainable development is complex and multidimensional” said Liu Zhenmin, UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs.
“Rapid population growth makes eradicating poverty,
combatting hunger and malnutrition, and increasing the coverage of health and
education systems more difficult.
Conversely, achieving the Sustainable Development Goals,
especially those related to health, education and gender equality, will
contribute to reducing fertility levels and slowing global population growth.”
In most countries of sub-Saharan Africa, as well as in
parts of Asia and Latin America and the Caribbean, the share of population at
working age (between 25 and 64 years) has been increasing thanks to recent
reductions in fertility. This shift in the age distribution provides a
time-bound opportunity for accelerated economic growth per capita, known as the
“demographic dividend”.
To maximize the potential benefits of a favourable age
distribution, the Un says, countries should invest in the further development
of their human capital by ensuring access to health care and quality education
at all ages and by promoting opportunities for productive employment and decent
work.
The share of global population at ages 65 and above is
projected to rise from 10 per cent in 2022 to 16 per cent in 2050. At that
point, it is expected that the number of persons aged 65 years or over
worldwide will be more than twice the number of children under age 5 and about
the same as the number under age 12. Countries with ageing populations should
take steps to adapt public programmes to the growing numbers of older persons,
including by establishing universal health care and long-term care systems and
by improving the sustainability of social security and pension systems.
Global life expectancy at birth reached 72.8 years in 2019,
according to the UN, this is an improvement of almost 9 years since 1990.
Further reductions in mortality are projected to result in an average global
longevity of around 77.2 years in 2050. Yet in 2021, life expectancy for the
least developed countries lagged 7 years behind the global average.
In terms of the Western Cape and the province is the third
most populated in the country and Cape Town has the largest share of the
provincial population, with about 4.7 million people or 65.8% living in the
metro.
StatsSa says one needs to consider the impacts that this
population’s size and its projected growth will have on climate change, adding
that it is not only the growth of the population per say but rather our use of
natural resources that’s carbon footprint) that is to be monitored over time.
According to the International Organisation for Migration
(IOM), 1 in 8 persons will be displaced due to climate change globally by 2050.
The 27th Climate Change conference (COP27) that took place earlier this month
in Egypt is an example of nations coming together in solidarity to contribute
to a climate response.
No doubt, the global COVID-19 pandemic impacted countries
with ageing populations more drastically.
The life expectancy at birth globally reduced from 72,8
years in 2019 to 71,7 years in 2022, while life expectancy in South Africa
reduced from 64,9 in 2019 to 62,8 in 2022.
With the world reaching 8 billion people on Tuesday, and
South Africa predicted to reach 70 million by 2035, it is a reminder to
governments, policy makers, and international bodies to ensure dignified and fulfilled
lives for all, and creating economic opportunities, and providing basic
services, amongst others, for a better tomorrow
Info: United Nations; Stats SA
PICTURE: Pixabay- Complied
by : Mitchum George
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