Planet Earth has ‘occasion to celebrate’ as population hits 8 billiion

The global population is now three times the size it was in 1950 and over a billion people have been born in the last 12 years. However, despite the celebrations, population growth is now at it’s lowest level in over 70 years.Based on current population trends, the United Nations believes the population could grow to around 8.5 billion by 2030, 9.7 billion by 2050 and 10.4 billion by the end of the 21st century. The biggest growth in population growth occured in 1960s, but the pace of population growth has slowed down considerably. On average, women are now giving birth to two children rather than having five children on average like in 1950.Around 61 countries globally will see their population decrease by one percent between the present day and 2050, due to lowered birth rates of higher levels of migration.  The United Nations is declaring November 15 as the ‘Day of Eight Billion’ . (Image: Getty Images)Populations are growing or dropping considerably depending on the country.It’s predicted that in the near future, perhaps this year, India will surpass China as the world’s most populated country.The biggest factor in population decline is women having better access to contraception, education and careers, but China also has faced a decline due to the Covid pandemic.There are now 45 percent fewer children born in 2020 than there were in 2015, making China’s birth rate lower than the United States.The 2020 Covid pandemic also reduced the overall life expectancy across the world, as it fell from 72.8 years in 2019 to 71 years in 2021.However, in Nigeria, birth rates are 20 times higher than in China, and the median age in the country is only 17.The increased birth rate has had its consequences, as food security and extreme poverty are big issues in the country, which has a population of over 216 million.READ MORE: Russia ordered to pay for Ukraine war crimes as UN veto scupperedA third of all households in Nigeria include one adult who must skip a meal for their family to survive.Resources may become a big issue as the population grows and Stephanie Feldstein, the director of population stability at the Center for Biological Diversity said: “Every single person needs fuel, wood, water, and a place to call home.’In sub-Saharan Africa, the population is expected to grow by 95 percent by mid-century, according to the Institute for Economics and Peace.The think tank said in its October report that much of sub-Saharan Africa may be unsustainable by mid-century.Patrick Gerland, who oversees population estimates at the United Nations, said: ‘The exact impacts on future human life, I think, are still somewhat yet to be determined.’So far, the overall experience is that the world has been successful in adapting and finding solutions to our problems, I think we need to be somewhat optimistic.’DON’T MISS:Stark images show world’s cities by 2100 embroiled in fire and floods [REVEAL]’It will be tough but Ukraine can still encircle and crush Russians’ [INSIGHT]World’s largest warship looks like a floating city as it arrives in UK [REPORT]The United Nations has predicted the world’s population will tick over 8 billion people today.It took little over a decade to jump from 7 to 8 billion people, but it’s predicted we won’t reach the 9 billion milestone until 2037. pic.twitter.com/WVhXqIVBO4- 10 News First (@10NewsFirst) November 15, 2022 Other countries which are expected to continue to have growing populations by the end of the century are Australia, New Zealand and the rest of Oceania.Both Australia and New Zealand have seen life expectancy grow by 1.2 years despite the pandemic, as they both shut their borders and have a ‘zero Covid’ lockdown policy.However, a majority of the world, including Europe and North America, will have reached its peak population and begin to decline by the next century.The United States secretary-general Antonio Guterres commented on the new milestone: “This is an occasion to celebrate our diversity, recognise our common humanity, and marvel at advancements in health that have extended lifespans and dramatically reduced maternal and child mortality rates.”However, he added: “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.”