Weeks before the observance of World Population Day on July 11 came reports saying that India is overtaking China in population this year.
China has been documented as the world’s most populous country since 1950, or almost 75 years, since the United Nations started its annual global population rankings.
The report said that while China remained early this year as having the largest population in the world – at 1.425 billion with India just behind with 1.4 billion – the figures shifted sometime in April when figures in the latter rose to 1.429 billion.
How did the demographic shift happen?
CNN explained that “decades of restrictive policies limiting families to one child dramatically slowed China’s birth rate, allowing India to pull ahead.”
India’s soaring population is expected to continue until about 2050 as its current population growth rate has reportedly started to show signs of slowing down.
The Philippines sits on No. 13 this year with its population of 114.13 million people, a notch lower than its 12th slot in 2015, when the country reached the 100 million mark – about 1.42 million annual increase for the past eight years.
Of the 10 most populous countries, five are in Asia, including four in the Top 5 – Indonesia, still at No. 4 with 277.61 million, Pakistan, 5th (240.64 million) and Bangladesh, 8th (170.02 million.
Three in the Top 10 are in the Americas (United States, third, with 340.06 million; Brazil, seventh, with 216.46 million; and Mexico, 10th, with 128.28 million.
The two others in the list are Nigeria at No. 6 (182.20 million) and Russia, No. 9 (144.42) million).
Just outside of the Top 10 and ahead of the 13th-ranked Philippines are Ethiopia (126.64 million) and Japan (123.27 million).
Our ASEAN neighbor, Vietnam ranks 15th with its nearly 100 million people.
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World Population Day is an observance dedicated to raise awareness about global population challenges.
WPD this year is focused on the theme: “#Unleashing the power of gender equality: Uplifting the voices of women and girls to unlock our world’s infinite possibilities.”
Explaining the theme, the United Nations said women and girls make up 49.7 percent of the global population. “Yet women and girls are often ignored in discussions on demographics, with their rights violated in population policies,” the world body said.
UN added: “This pervasive injustice keeps women and girls out of school, the workforce and leadership positions; limits their agency and ability to make decisions about their health and sexual and reproductive lives; and heightens their vulnerability to violence, harmful practices and preventable maternal death, with a woman dying every two minutes due to pregnancy or childbirth.”
“World Population Day gives us an opportunity to highlight the need to advance gender equality to help realize the dreams of all 8 billion of us on our planet.”
The trend of population growth in recent years has been dramatic as shown in the facts shared by UN and the UNFPA, or the United Nations Population Fund:
- In 2011, the global population reached the 7 billion mark, it stands at almost 7.9 billion in 2021.
- It is expected to grow to around 8.5 billion in 2030, 9.7 billion in 2050, and 10.9 billion in 2100.
- This dramatic growth has been driven largely by increasing numbers of people surviving to reproductive age, and has been accompanied by major changes in fertility rates, increasing urbanization and accelerating migration.
- These trends will have far-reaching implications for generations to come.
The world bodies also shared equally significant details rationalizing the theme of the celebration this year:
- More than 40 per cent of women around the world cannot make decisions on sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights.
- As few as one in four women across low- and middle income countries are realizing their desired fertility.
- A woman dies every two minutes due to pregnancy or childbirth (and in conflict settings, the number of deaths is twice as high).
- Nearly one-third of women have experienced intimate partner violence, non-partner sexual violence or both.
- Just six countries have 50 per cent or more women in parliament.
- More than two thirds of the 800 million people globally who cannot read are women.
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On a related note, UNFPA is campaigning in its website, for funds to help women and girls in Ukraine amidst the escalation of war.
UNFPA expressed concern over impacts on them as humanitarian issues rise.
UNFPA said its staff “are on the ground ready to deliver essential medicines, supplies and services to ensure that reproductive health care is sustained” as it also underscored the scaling up in the delivery of life-saving services to people in need across the country.
“We need your urgent help today to reach more women and girls in Ukraine,” UNFPA appealed.
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The effects of a rapidly growing population cannot be overemphasized.
The more people, especially when they belong to marginalized sectors, have far-reaching impact to practically all facets of national and community life – from food security to health care access, education, peace, economic stability, job and employment and other forms of social services.
I had the opportunity to have traveled to the four most populous countries in the past two decades and the huge number of people in their urban centers, especially in China and India, simply overwhelmed me.
The picture of rushing crowds struggling for train seats in a Shenzhen rail station and a weekend congregation that filled to the brim – almost every square meter, leaving little breathing space – a giant shopping mall in Chennai remain as continuously worrying and uncomfortable for as long as population issues and their effects are not addressed by appropriate authorities.
Gnawing, indeed.
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“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:30-31) – NWI
