World Population Day: Looking beyond the numbers and focusing on people
Reflecting on global population trends and sharing the responsibility for a sustainable future
The global population has now surpassed 8 billion, and it’s expected to reach 9 billion by 2037. Every year on 11 July, the World Population Day brings attention to these numbers and the people behind them. With population figures separated by age, ethnicity, gender, and other factors, the diversity of our societies can be reflected more accurately than before. However, the most marginalised communities remain under-represented in data, having profound effects on their lives and well-being.
In the last thirty years, progress has been made in improving population data gathering, analysis, and usage. These advancements helped enable improvements in health care delivery, leading to better overall and reproductive health, increased life expectancy, and granting the ability to exercise individual rights and choices. Other observed trends include high levels of urbanisation and accelerated migration. These changes have implications on economic developments, employment, income distribution, poverty, and social protection.
To grasp societal developments optimally, it is important to analyse and utilise global population data. With the World Population Dashboard, information on topics like family planning, education, gender, rights, and human capital can be found. Together, this data sheds light on the health and rights of people across the world, paying special attention to women and adolescents. On data.europa.eu, there are also many datasets related to European population data which can provide further insights.
To make sure the needs of individuals are addressed accordingly, policymakers should gain awareness on how many people live on the planet and what they represent. World Population Day is seen as both a moment of reflection and a call to action to stimulate the conversation and ignite progress.
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