Earth's Population is Now 8 Billion

The United Nations believes that the global population reached 8 billion on November 15. There are now 2.1 billion more people in the world than there were 25 years ago, a 33% growth. A further five percent increase to slightly under 10 billion by 2050 is projected for the human population.

Asia & Oceania (with their additional 1.2 billion people) and Africa (an additional 700 million individuals) are two of the fastest-growing regions in the world over the past quarter century. Half of the predicted global growth in population between now and 2050 is likely to occur in a few major nations in Africa and Asia, suggesting that this trend will continue.

There are currently 83% of the world's population who call a developing country home; that number is projected to rise to 86% by 2050. In 1950, that number was only 66%. All the more reason to work towards solving the problems plaguing these countries, such as food insecurity, poor sanitation, lack of access to healthcare, and lack of reliable, inexpensive power sources and Internet connectivity.

A staggering 828 million people, mostly residents of poor nations, go to bed hungry every night. According to UNCTAD's Inclusive Growth Index, these nations, particularly those in Africa, are bearing the greatest burden of socioeconomic disparities and substandard living circumstances. Half of the population does not have access to safe, clean water in more than two-thirds of African countries. However, just around one person in a hundred has access to a broadband Internet connection in several third-world countries.

The urgency of resolving the climate catastrophe is heightened by the rapid increase in population in emerging nations. Developing nations require assistance in order to keep up with the rising demand for food and energy without expanding their current rates of pollution and waste production.

The quantity of garbage produced per person in high-income nations is double that in low-income nations. That's why it's so important for both industrialised and developing nations to "decouple" growth from carbon dioxide output while also assuring a fair transition to a low-carbon economy. The developed world should redouble its efforts to create a low-emissions future, while also helping the developing world acquire the knowledge, tools, and resources it needs to diversify its economy away from polluting industries. The COP27 climate meeting must make this a top priority.

In Africa, for example, the proportion of the population that is of working age is rising in relation to the proportions of the younger and older generations, suggesting that rapid population expansion in emerging nations poses both difficulties and possibilities for the economy. However, if humanity is unable to separate pollution from wealth, the planet's problems would certainly outweigh its potential benefits.