World population meter hits 8 billion

Rising life expectancy is good news, UN says, but gaps and inequities are still global struggles

It’s not a small world after all. The global population was projected to reach 8 billion Tuesday, the United Nations says, in a milestone for humanity as the organization gives a look into what the future could look like.

The U.N. praised the population growth as mortality levels decline and life expectancy increases. Global life expectancy is 72.8 years as of 2019, an increase of nearly nine years since 1990. Life expectancy is projected to be 77.2 years by 2050.

“This is an occasion to celebrate our diversity, recognize our common humanity, and marvel at advancements in health that have extended lifespans and dramatically reduced maternal and child mortality rates,” U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said in a statement. “At the same time, it is a reminder of our shared responsibility to care for our planet and a moment to reflect on where we still fall short of our commitments to one another.”

Population has doubled in the past five decades – the global population hit 4 billion in 1974. And it took just a little more than a decade for the planet to add its latest billion in population after it reached 7 billion in 2011.

Asia and Africa contributed the most to the growth, while Europe’s population was projected to decline.

Despite the positive trends, Guterres said in an opinion piece for USA TODAY that billions of people continue to struggle and gaps must be closed to end inequalities. He also cited climate change, famine and wars: “We are setting ourselves up for an 8-billionstrong world filled with tensions and mistrust, crisis and conflict.”