United Nations(UN)’s World Population Day is annually observed across the globe on 11th July to create awareness about the urgency and importance of population issues such as the importance of family planning, gender equality, poverty, maternal health and human right, and their relations to the environment and development.
Background:
i.The World Population Day was first established by the Governing Council of the United Nations Development Programme in 1989, following the observance of the Day of Five Billion on 11th July 1987, the day when the world’s population reached 5 billion.
ii.The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted the resolution in December 1990 and decided to continue the observance of the World Population day on 11th July.
iii.The first UN’s World Population Day was observed on 11th July 1990.
World Population Trends:
i.In 2011, the global population became 7 billion and the global population as of 2021 is 7.7 billion.
ii.The population is expected to grow around 8.5 billion in 2030, 9.7 billion in 2050 and 10.9 billion in 2100.
iii.As of 2007, most of the people lived in urban areas rather than rural areas.
Top 5 countries with highest population growth rate:
| Rank | Country | Growth % per year | Total Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Syria | 4.64% | 1.71 crore |
| 2 | Niger | 3.66% | 2.33 crore |
| 3 | Angola | 3.4% | 3.18 crores |
| 4 | Benin | 3.39% | 1.18 crores |
| 5 | Uganda | 3.35% | 4.43 crore |
UP’s Population Policy 2021-2030:
i.On the occasion of the World Population Day 2021, Yogi Adityanath, Chief Minister(CM) of Uttar Pradesh(UP) inaugurated the Population Policy 2021-2030 for Uttar Pradesh.
ii.Aim: To bring down the gross fertility rate among women to 2.1 by 2026 and to 1.9 by 2030.
iii.Under the population policy 2021-2030, steps will be taken to increase the accessibility of contraceptive measures under the family planning programme and to provide a proper system for safe abortion.
