Every year, we observe World Population Day on July 11th, which seeks to raise awareness of global population issues. The United Nations established this day as a response to a growing interest in Five Billion Day in 1987. As you can deduce from the name, Five Billion Day was the date that the world surpassed a population of five billion people. Now, we are at a population of 8 billion people! 

World Population Day highlights concerns that come with a growing population and aims to educate people about these issues. Overpopulation is one of the first concerns that comes to mind, and awareness of the effects on nature and development is crucial. An increasing population also contributes to fewer resources available. Also, it shines a light on women's health problems during pregnancy or childbirth, making the need for family planning, gender equality, and health always a top priority.

How to Observe World Population Day

Educate Yourself and Others

Take World Population Day as an opportunity to research and learn more about population issues, what is expected for the future and more. A great place to start is with the United Nations Population Fund, a lead UN agency for population issues.

Share the Information in Your Network

As you continue to learn more about World Population Day, use this opportunity to educate and share the information you know with family and friends. Ask them what they think about the issues, what they have learned and some ways to help. We’ve created a map to share with all of you for this #WorldPopulationDay! We wanted to outline the demographic transition we’ve seen - the pattern of declining death rates, and then subsequently, birth rates and how this affects society as nations progress through industrialization.

The world's population growth rate (%) is unique. We can see slower or even negative growth in most developed countries, driven mainly by immigration rather than births. These countries are in the fourth stage of demographic transition. However, there has been explosive growth in many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East. These changes are usually reflections of a developing nation: as the death rate declines due to improvements in quality of life, the birth rate stays relatively stable and results in explosive population growth! As such, many of these nations are in the process of transitioning from stage 2 to stage 3 of demographic transition. Check out the map below to learn more!

Donate to Organizations focused on World Population

So many amazing NGOs and nonprofits do incredible work through population issues every day. Many organizations educate women about family planning; some help them through poverty or homelessness. Choose to donate your time or money to these organizations if you can!

Don’t forget to educate yourself on World Population Day and tag us on social using #WorldPopulationDay!