UN data shows that the world's population hit the 8 billion mark on November 15, 2022. As of June 29, the world’s population was 8,031,418,653 people. It is estimated that it will reach 9 billion people in 2037 and 10 billion people in 2057.

Global population issues

While the world's population is on the rise, many Asian and European countries are struggling to improve a low birth rate, which could cause their population to decline.

In Japan, the child population has fallen for the 42^nd year in a row to a record low. The number of children aged 14 or younger was 14.35 million as of April 1, down about 300,000 from a year earlier. Japan’s internal affairs ministry projects that by 2070 Japan's population will be approximately 87 million, down 30% from 2020.

Italy shares the same problem of an aging population and a falling birth rate. The number of births last year fell 3%. According to the Italian National Institute of Statistics, Italy’s population could fall 20% over the next 50 years. The low birth rate and aging population will put pressure on pension funds and health care costs, cause a labor shortage, and hinder economic growth.

At the same time, some countries have seen dramatic increases in population. In mid-April, India officially surpassed China to become the most populous country in the world. Egypt is also experiencing rapid population growth. Head of Egypt's National Population Council Tarek Tawfik said the population is expected to be between 142 million and 157 million by 2050.

Opportunities and challenges

Population increase is considered a “demographic advantage”, bringing opportunities for economic growth. Population growth is also clear evidence of advances in medical care, nutrition, science and technology. However, demographic opportunities come with a series of challenges.

Population growth puts pressure on infrastructure, health, education, and employment, as well as the environment and the ecosystem. Population aging poses risks to the economy, but people have insufficient awareness of the consequences of a low birth rate. Economists, too, pay more attention to GDP and inflation than to the birth rate, which will have a significant impact on the economy in the medium term.

Many governments have implemented measures to raise the birth rate and encourage couples to have children to support national development. But there are still environmental concerns, a tendency for women to delay having a child, and financial obstacles.

In Egypt, a country with rapid population growth, 22 organizations are engaged in population planning, but there is still no effective policy to curb growth.

Promoting gender equality to address population challenges

According to the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), women and girls make up 49.7% of the global population. But their desire for a family and a job are overlooked in addressing demographic issues, and their rights are still commonly violated in creating population policies. This has created a world that limits the potential of every individual (not just women and girls) to enjoy a prosperous, peaceful, and sustainable future.

UNFPA's Population Report for 2023 says that when women are empowered to make choices about their bodies and lives, they and their families thrive, and their societies thrive, too.

This year’s World Population Day is themed “Unleashing the power of gender equality: uplifting the voices of women and girls to unlock our world's infinite possibilities”. UNFPA says the process should begin with listening to the voices of women, girls, and underprivileged people and developing laws and regulations to help them exercise their rights and make good decisions.

Population and social development have a close relationship. Planning and preparation to make the society resilient to demographic changes is an important task of every country toward the primary goal of creating a good life for everyone.

If the world works together to promote gender equality and empower women and children, the potential and strength of 8 billion people, instead of just half of them, will be unleashed to rapidly achieve the sustainable development goals for a better world.