World Population Day seeks to focus attention on the urgency and importance of population issues. It was established by the then Governing Council of the United Nations Development Programme in 1989, and is an extension of the interest generated by the Day of Five Billion, which was observed on 11 July 1987.
According to the United Nations, World Population Day 2024 is a moment to ask who is still going uncounted. It is a moment for all of us to commit to doing more to ensure that data systems capture the full range of human diversity so that everyone is seen. To realise the rights and choices of those on the margins of societies, we must count them, because everyone counts. When data and other systems work for those on the margins, they work for everyone. This is how we accelerate progress for all.
Population issues include but are not limited to population growth, family planning, marriage, reproduction, maternal health, gender equality, poverty, and human rights.
The current world population is 8,120,307,703 as of July 9 2024, according to the most recent United Nations estimates, an increase of 75,162,541 (0.95%) from New Year's Day 2023. During January 2024, 4.3 births and 2.0 deaths were expected worldwide every second.
The United Nations has projected that world population will reach 9 billion in 2037, and 10 billion in 2058. Many scientists estimate that the Earth has a maximum carrying capacity of 9 billion to 10 billion people.
More people mean an increased demand for food, water, housing, energy, healthcare, transportation, and more. It contributes to ecological degradation, increased conflicts, and a higher risk of large-scale disasters, like pandemics.
The most populous countries in the world, in descending order, are China, India, the United States, Indonesia, Pakistan, Brazil, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Russia, and Mexico.
Vatican City, the smallest internationally recognised independent state in the world, has the lowest population of just 764 as of 2024.
World Population Day advocates around the world to call on leaders, policymakers, grassroots organisers, institutions, and others to help make reproductive health and rights a reality for all.
“As the theme of this year’s World Population Day reminds us, investing in data collection is important to understanding problems, tailoring solutions, and driving progress. So is finance. I urge countries to make the most of the Summit of the Future this year to unleash affordable capital for sustainable development.” - UN Secretary-General António Guterres.