State of World Population Report 2023 (SWPR) – United Nations Population Fund
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has released the annual State of World Population Report 2023 on 19 April.
- The report is published with the title “8 Billion Lives, Infinite Possibilities: The Case for Rights and Choices“.
- The Annual World Population Status Report is the flagship annual report published by UNFPA since 1978.
Key findings of report –
- The report has officially confirmed for the first time that India’s population is expected to exceed that of China by the middle of this year.
- The report pegs India’s mid-2023 population at 1,428 million (1.42 billion), slightly ahead of China’s 1,425 million.
- UNFPA states that the world population is 8,045 million, with the largest share (65%) of people between the ages of 15 and 64, followed by those in the 10–24 year group (24%).
- 10 percent of the population is above 65 years. According to the report, on 15 November 2022, the world’s population crossed 8 billion people.
- The world’s two most populous regions are East and South-East Asia, home to 2.3 billion people, representing 29 percent of the global population; and Central and Southern Asia, with 2.1 billion (26 percent).
- Central and Southern Asia is expected to become the most populous region in the world by 2037.
- More than half of the projected increase in global population by the year 2050 will be concentrated in eight countries – the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, and the United Republic of Tanzania.
- One of the reasons for population growth globally is the increase in life expectancy.
- With better access to health care and improving living standards, mortality rates are decreasing along with fertility rates in different parts of the world. It also means that some parts of the world, such as Japan, have older populations.
- The report for the year 2023 found that life expectancy for men is now 71 years while for women it is 76 years.
- The United Nations report states that India now has 1,428.6 million people and is the most populous country in the world, overtaking the population of China.
- 68% of India’s population is in the age group of 15-64 years, and 26% is in the 10-24 age group, making India one of the youngest countries in the world. However, the fertility rate in India is steadily falling.
India’s position –
- More than two-thirds of India’s population (68 percent) is in the age group of 15-64 years. It is followed by the age group of 10-24 years, which constitutes 24% of the total population of the country. Both these features make India one of the youngest countries in the world.
- In India, life expectancy at birth is estimated at 71 years for males and 74 years for females. The total fertility rate of India is estimated at 2.0.
- The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is headquartered in New York, USA, and was established in 1969. It is the sexual and reproductive health agency of the United Nations.
Source – Indian Express
