World Population Day is celebrated on July 11 of each year, at the initiative of the Board of Directors of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), with the aim of raising awareness in relation to all the problems that currently affect the population of the world, especially in matters related to the growth and development of peoples.

The date was proclaimed in the year 1989, when the Earth exceeded five billion inhabitants.

How many people are there in the world?

According to statistical studies carried out in recent years, it is estimated that the growth rate of the world population is almost 83 million people.

According to the most recent data from the UN (2019) and real-time population clocks, it can be estimated that there are currently about 7.8 billion people in the world.

China and India, the most populous countries on the planet

According to UN statistics, the population of the entire planet is distributed as follows: 60% live in Asia, 16% in Africa, 10% reside in Europe and 9% are distributed throughout Latin America and the rest of the world. Caribbean. The remaining 5% is located between North America and Oceania.

The latest estimates of the World Population Review based on UN statistics reveal that of the 10 most populous countries in the world, five belong to the Asian continent, two to North America, one to Africa, one to Europe and the other to South America.

China and India are the countries with the largest number of inhabitants compared to the rest of the world.

These two large nations, located on the Asian continent, are home to 61% of the population. In China alone there are 1.44 billion people, while in India there are 1.39 billion, which together represents almost 37% of all humanity.

However, it is estimated that in the coming years India will overtake China and there will be significant population growth in the poorest countries.

According to more recent studies, a reduction in fertility is expected that will impede population growth worldwide, which will result in an aging of the adult population and will have a negative impact on the economy, health and assistance systems. social globally.

World Population Day in times of pandemic

In 2020, the global celebration for the population focused on the added problems caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the crisis triggered as a result of it.

Women are the most vulnerable sector of society in this situation of confinement for a number of reasons:

• There are many more women in the health sector, especially in nursing, and they are the ones who are bearing the brunt of work on the front line of combat in hospitals and health centers.
• In many cases, women are supporting the care of children and the elderly, while confinements last. Many of them have stopped working or have had to reduce their working hours.
• Or they combine work with child care, subtracting hours of sleep and rest. In low- and middle-income countries, women do not have access to contraception, making family planning difficult.
• There are more cases of gender violence against women.
• International surveillance is relaxed on many issues such as genital mutilation and child marriages.

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