World’s Population Will Exceed Eight Billion People Real Soon, UN Predicts

If you think your local mall’s too crowded, or that you can never find a parking space, it’s about to get worse. 

According to the United Nations’ most recent projections, it seems the human population is hurtling towards a record eight billion people in the near future, and could even hit 8.5 billion by 2030. 

While the report predicts Earth will celebrate its eight billionth person by November 15, 2022, such guesses aren’t 100% accurate. Though, even with leeway given for a margin of error, it does appear to be happening pretty soon. 

“This year’s World Population Day falls on a milestone year, when we anticipate the birth of the Earth’s eight billionth inhabitant,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres says in a statement.

Calling it “an occasion to celebrate our diversity,” Guterres adds that the seismic event should encourage humankind to “recognize our common humanity, and marvel at advancements in health that have extended lifespans and dramatically reduced maternal and child mortality rates.” 

“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,” he reminds.

Looking ahead, come 2050, the UN expects our planet to be home to 9.7 billion people. Though, the model predicts that by 2100, we’ll only reach 10.4 billion inhabitants due to a significant slowdown in population growth.

Of course, other studies don’t necessarily concur with this one. As IFL Science points out, one published in The Lancet has suggested that the population will peak at 9.7 billion people in 2064, before decreasing to 8.8 billion in 2100. Guess we’ll find out who was right when the century comes to a close.

[via Futurism and IFL Science, cover image via Antares614 | Dreamstime.com]