Eight billion. That’s the number of humans estimated to be alive on Earth.
This landmark was reached by the world population on November 15, according to A projectionFrom the United Nations.
In addition to being a cause for celebration, “the 8 billion milestone also brings important responsibilities, and highlights related challenges for social and economic development and environmental sustainability,” said Maria-Francesca Spatolisano, the U.N. assistant secretary-general for policy coordination and inter-agency affairs, at A news conferenceJuly
The global population is growing, but the growth rate is slowing. Current projections predict the world’s population will peak at about 10.4 billion in the 2080s and remain steady until 2100. Previously, the U.N. had predicted that the world’s population could reach 11.2 billion by 2100, based on the rate of population growth in 2017.
According to the report, migration will continue to drive population growth in high income countries over the next decades. World Population Prospects 2022 ReportJuly, U.N. release. What’s more, the populations of 61 countries are projected to decrease by 1 percent or more between now and 2050. Population growth in lower income countries is expected to be driven more by births than deaths.
“There is inherent uncertainty in population projections,” said John Wilmoth, director of the U.N. Population Division, at the July news conference. He explained that this uncertainty is partly due to the possibility of different trajectories for birth rates, mortality rates, and emigration between countries.
While rapid population growth in developing nations may intensify climate disasters, Spatolisano said, it’s important to keep in mind that “more developed countries — whose per capita consumption of material resources is generally the highest — bear the greatest responsibility for implementing strategies to decouple human activity from environmental degradation.”
