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World’s population passes 8 billion mark according to US Census
The Earth’s population has surpassed 8 billion, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The estimated date for reaching this milestone was September 26, though the bureau advises caution regarding the precision of this date. However, the bureau notes that global population growth continues its long-term trend of deceleration.
In contrast, the United Nations asserted that the population crossed the 8 billion mark 10 months earlier, designating November 22, 2022, as the “Day of 8 Billion,” as highlighted by the Census Bureau in a statement. Discrepancies arise from varying counting methodologies among countries, with some lacking systems to record births and deaths. Populous nations like India and Nigeria have not conducted censuses for over a decade.
While the global population has grown from 6 billion to 8 billion since the year 2000, the rate of growth has slowed compared to the period between 1960 and 2000 when it doubled. The recent increase is largely attributed to people living longer, with the global median age rising from 32 to an expected 39 by 2060.
Various countries exhibit contrasting demographic trends. Canada, for instance, is aging with declining mortality among older individuals, while Nigeria has witnessed significant reductions in child mortality. Fertility rates, representing births per woman of childbearing age, are generally declining worldwide, falling below replacement level in many regions, contributing to a more than 50-year trend of diminished population growth.
Demographers assert that the minimum fertility rate required to replace both parents for a neutral global population is 2.1. Currently, nearly three-quarters of the global population resides in countries with fertility rates at or below this level. Examples of countries with replacement-level fertility rates include India, Tunisia, and Argentina. Approximately 15% of people live in areas with fertility rates below replacement level, encompassing countries like Brazil, Mexico, the U.S., and Sweden. Countries with very low fertility rates, including China, South Korea, and Spain, fall into this category.
Certain nations, such as Israel, Ethiopia, and Papua New Guinea, maintain higher-than-replacement fertility rates, accounting for almost one-quarter of the world’s population. Conversely, only about 4% of the global population resides in countries with fertility rates exceeding 5, all of which are in Africa.
