You might have heard about World Population Day. With the ever-growing global population, the significance of this event is gaining more attention than ever. So, when is World Population Day, and what are the notable activities during this day? We will answer all these questions in detail in this article below.
1 Origin and Significance of World Population Day on July 11th
July 11th was chosen as World Population Day to raise awareness and change community behaviors regarding population issues.
At 6:35 am (UK time) on July 11th, 1987, a Yugoslav boy named Matej Gašpar was born in Zagreb (now the capital of Croatia) and became the world’s five billionth citizen. Many countries around the world celebrated this event, considering it a special milestone in the fight against forces that had suppressed human growth throughout history.
However, they also recognized that with a population of five billion, significant challenges would arise due to population explosion. Thus, this milestone also served as a wake-up call, reminding everyone on Earth about resource depletion, environmental pollution, ecological imbalance, and human rights inequalities.
July 11th annually reminds us of the risks of population explosion.
Given the potential dangers of overpopulation, the World Population Forum, organized by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), held an International Conference on Population in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, in November 1989. The conference decided to commemorate Matej Gašpar’s birthday, July 11th, as World Population Day. Since then, July 11th has served as an annual reminder to every country and individual on Earth about the risks of a population explosion, which constrains fundamental rights such as education, employment, nutrition, and healthcare. Rapid population growth also leads to a difficult life for humans and gives rise to various social issues, hindering economic development.
Based on this, each country needs to assess its population situation and develop appropriate and timely plans. This involves implementing correct measures and policies to help curb population growth while improving the quality of life, education, and ecological restoration.
2 Theme of World Population Day 2022
Theme of World Population Day, July 11th, 2022
The main theme of World Population Day 2022 is:
- “A world of 8 billion: towards a resilient future for all – seizing opportunities and ensuring rights and choices for all”
Here are the themes for World Population Day from 2015 to 2021 for your additional reference:
- Theme of World Population Day (July 11th) 2015: “Vulnerable Populations in Emergencies”
- Theme of World Population Day (July 11th) 2016: “Investing in Teenage Girls”
- Theme of World Population Day (July 11th) 2017: “Family Planning: Empowering People, Developing Nations”
- Theme of World Population Day (July 11th) 2018: “The right to choose – harnessing the demographic dividend and ensuring sustainable development”
- Theme of World Population Day 2019 (July 11th): “25 years of ICPD: Accelerating the promise”
- Theme of World Population Day (July 11th) 2020: “How to safeguard the health and rights of women and girls now!”
- Theme of World Population Day (July 11th) 2021: “Rights and Choices for All, Harnessing Demographic Dividend and Ensuring Sustainable Development”
3 Activities to Commemorate World Population Day
Each year on World Population Day, UNFPA selects a global theme to draw attention and spread awareness of the day’s significance to all humanity.
Posters advocating for World Population Day
Some common activities that take place on World Population Day include:
- Spreading awareness about gender imbalance and the consequences of selecting a child’s gender, which leads to abortion and further gender imbalance.
- Promoting and providing reproductive health care services, especially family planning for women across all nations.
- Educating about the harmful effects of child marriage and consanguineous marriages, particularly in minority communities with limited access to information.
- Organizing commemorative marches, along with cultural programs, music, and competitions, to spread messages about the rapid population growth and its adverse effects.
4 A Glimpse of the World Population in 2022
The global population continues to grow.
Total Population of Countries Worldwide in 2022
The current world population is 7.96 billion. On World Population Day, July 11th, UNFPA announced that the global population is expected to reach 8 billion on November 15th, 2022, according to the 2022 World Population Prospects report released by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs.
What is the Population of Vietnam? What Rank is it in the World?
Vietnam’s population ranks 15th in the world.
Vietnam’s current population is 98,974,134 as of July 11th, 2022, according to the latest United Nations data. Vietnam’s population accounts for 1.24% of the world’s total, making it the 15th most populous country or area in the world.
World Population Facts in 2022
The global population continues to grow rapidly.
The ever-increasing population is a shared challenge for all humanity. According to the United Nations’ Economic and Social Affairs division, the world population could further increase by 20-30% by 2050 compared to 2020.
Here are some of the urgent challenges currently faced by humanity:
- Issues like climate change, conflicts, and COVID-19.
- Millions living in poverty and malnutrition, lacking access to healthcare, social security, and quality primary and secondary education.
- Women worldwide are still fighting for their basic rights to make decisions about their bodies and future.
- Therefore, accurate population trend estimates and reliable forecasts of future changes are crucial for policymaking and pursuing a sustainable development path.
