The world population is set to reach eight billion people tomorrow, according to the United Nations (UN). The UN predicts that the population will continue to grow until the 2080s, when it will plateau at 10.4 billion. The UN chose the middle of the month as the date for the eight billionth person, as the exact date cannot be determined due to the hundreds of thousands of births and deaths that occur each day. The growth in population is due to improvements in healthcare, nutrition, personal hygiene, and medicine, as well as high and consistent birth rates in some countries.
Despite the unprecedented growth in population, experts suggest that it does not necessarily mean an acceleration of climate change. A study by Oxfam shows that people from wealthy countries like Germany are responsible for a large portion of CO2 emissions. The poorest half of the world’s population, on the other hand, hardly contributes to emissions. China and India are particularly relevant to the future development of the world population. China’s one-child policy has led to a low birth rate, while India’s birth rate is much higher. The UN predicts that India will overtake China in population next year.
The population is expected to grow the most in Africa south of the Sahara in the coming years. Many countries with high incomes, including Japan and Germany, are likely to experience negative population growth in the coming years. To address this, Germany needs around 400,000 immigrants per year to meet the demand for labor. The UN also emphasizes the importance of migration, stating that all countries should take steps to facilitate orderly, safe, regular, and responsible migration, regardless of whether they have a net inflow or outflow of migrants.
