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World Population Day is observed every year on July 11
About World Population Day
- Purpose: To draw attention towards the issues arising out of rising population across the globe
- It is observed with the goal of highlighting the difficulties created by overpopulation and raising awareness about how overpopulation may harm the ecosystem and progress of humanity.
- This year’s theme: ‘The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on fertility’.
- It is observed to shed more light on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on sexual and reproductive health and reproductive behaviour globally.
- It is organised by the Population Division of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA).
- The day is marked to raise awareness about the importance of family planning, child marriage, gender equality, human rights, and others.
History of World Population Day
- It was established by the Governing Council of the United Nations Development Programme in 1989, buoyed by the interest in the Five Billion Day celebrated in 1987.
- A resolution to the effect was passed, and the dayw as first marked on July 11, 1990.
- In December 1990, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) decided to continue observing World Population Day to enhance awareness about population issues, including their relations to the environment.
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
The United Nations has sent up a population fund (UNFPA) and a population division to plan programmes and coordinate with other agencies in order to highlight and disseminate information about population control measures.
UNFPA advises against reactionary policy responses, which can be extremely harmful if they violate rights, health and choices. Instead, the agency calls for prioritizing reproductive health and rights for all through access to information and services in the face of fertility and demographic shifts.
World Population trends
- The world population reached the 7 billion mark in 2011, and it now stands around at 7.7 billion and is expected to grow to nearly 8.5 billion in 2030, 9.7 billion in 2050, and 10.9 billion in 2100.
- The recent past has seen enormous changes in fertility rates and life expectancy.
- In the early 1970s, women had on average 4.5 children each; by 2015, total fertility for the world had fallen to below 2.5 children per woman.
- Meanwhile, average global life spans have risen, from 64.6 years in the early 1990s to 72.6 years in 2019.
Source: Hindustan Times
