World population to hit 7 billion by October

The United Nations commemorates World Population Day against the backdrop of an upcoming landmark event: global population hitting the seven billion mark by late October this year.

According to current projections, and with some of the world’s poorest nations doubling their populations in the next decade, the second milestone will be in 2025 when the global population will reach eight billion.

Dr Babatunde Osotimehin, executive director of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), said seven billion represents a challenge, an opportunity and a call to action.

On World Population Day, July 11, he launches a campaign called “7 Billion Actions”.

“It will engage people on what it means to live in a world with seven billion people and encourage action on issues that affect all of us,” he said.

The rise in population is expected to have a devastating impact on some 215 million women who want – but do not have – access to quality reproductive health and family planning services.

The world’s five most populous countries are China (1.3 billion), India (1.2 billion), the United States (310.2 million), Indonesia (242.9 million) and Brazil (201.1 million).

The date for the eight billion population milestone is projected now to be 2025.

Full story and more facts at Aljazeera.net