In a milestone for humanity, the global population hit 8 billion on Tuesday after having added a billion people in the last 12 years, with India on the cusp of overtaking China as the world’s most populous country next year
“8 billion hopes. 8 billion dreams. 8 billion possibilities. Our planet is now home to 8 billion people,” the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) tweeted
“As we become 8 Billion Strong, @DieneKeita explains how a world of 8 billion is a global success story. Together we can build a world that allows 8 billion of us to thrive,” it said in another tweet
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said unless the world bridges the yawning chasm between the global haves and have-nots, “we are setting ourselves up for an 8-billion-strong world filled with tensions and mistrust, crisis and conflict”
India is projected to surpass China as the world’s most populous country in 2023
The population prospects report said that India’s population stands at 1.412 billion in 2022, compared with China’s 1.426 billion
India is projected to have a population of 1.668 billion in 2050, way ahead of China’s 1.317 billion people by the middle of the century
The population clock flashed 8,000,000,000 on November 15, with the world having added one billion people in the last 12 years