World population to reach 8 billion by November even as growth slows

Washington Post - New projections from the United Nations’ Department of Social and Economic Affairs show that the global population is expected to reach 8 billion on Nov. 15 — though population growth is at its slowest in decades, with rates dipping under 1 percent in 2020.

The agency’s “World Population Prospects” report projects that India will surpass China as the most populous country in the world by 2023 — a change, in part, because of China’s aging population and history of restricting births.

Population trends outlined in the report show that, in most parts of the world, death is outpacing life.

The population of 61 countries is projected to decrease by 1 percent or more between 2022 and 2050, with the exception of eight countries: the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines and Tanzania.

Other recent studies conducted by the United Nations have shown that by the end of the century, Africa will be the only continent to experience population growth, with 13 of the world’s 20 biggest urban areas expected to be based there.