World Population Day

World Population Day History

World Population Day is observed to increase awareness regarding the growing population worldwide and its impact on sustainability, health care systems, and environmental resources. The day was first celebrated in 1989, when the world's population reached 5 billion. Since then, the United Nations has been leading the effort to celebrate the day and promote awareness on population issues.

The day aims to encourage governments, organizations, and individuals to take action to address population-related issues. It aims to highlight the importance of family planning, reproductive health, and gender equality in achieving sustainable development goals. World Population Day also emphasizes the importance of educating people about population trends and their impact on the environment.

In the United Kingdom, World Population Day is observed with campaigns, events, and activities to raise awareness about global population issues. It is a day to share ideas and opportunities for individuals to help make a positive impact on the world's population issues. There are interactive workshops, conferences, and discussions that take place across the country to promote the importance of population issues. World Population Day is observed annually on July 11th.

World Population Day facts

• The theme for World Population Day in 2023 was 8 Billion Lives, Infinite Possibilities: The case for rights and choices.
  The theme in for World Population Day in 2022 was A world of 8 billion: Towards a resilient future for all - harnessing opportunities and ensuring rights and choices for all.
• The annual growth rate of the world's population peaked at 2.1% in 1962 and since been decreasing. It is estimated that by the year 2100, the population will slow to 0.06% annual growth.
• The United Kingdom's Office for National Statistics (ONS) released population projections estimating that the UK population could reach 77.9 million by 2050.
• The birth rate in the UK is around 11.1 births per 1,000 people, while the death rate is approximately 9.3 deaths per 1,000 people. This results in a natural population growth rate of about 0.18%.

In the News and Trending in the UK for World Population Day

Top things to do in the UK for World Population Day

• Reduce your carbon footprint to slow global warming and pollution. Walk instead of driving, use energy saving light bulbs, carpool with others, turn down the AC/heat when you are not home, and reuse and recycle paper, bottles, and plastics.
• Spread the word about birth control methods. Over half of the pregnancies every year in the US are unplanned and could have been prevented by birth control methods such as pills, rings, IUDs and condoms.
• Watch The Windrush Generation: The Making of Multicultural Britain (2018), a documentary that examines the impact of Caribbean immigrants on the UK during the 20th century.
• Read a book to learn more about population growth in the United Kingdom. Here are some suggestions:
  1. The Peopling of Britain: The Shaping of a Human Landscape edited by Paul Slack and Ryk Ward
  2. The Population of the British Isles: From Prehistory to the Present by Michael Anderson
  3. A Population History of the United Kingdom by Michael Anderson and Corinne Roughley