The human race is set to ring in the new year with a milestone: at midnight on January 1st, 2024, the world's population will officially surpass 8 billion, according to figures released by the US Census Bureau on Thursday.
This staggering number marks a gain of over 75 million people in just one year, with the global population clock ticking at a near-constant rate of 4.3 births and 2 deaths every second. While the growth rate has slowed slightly compared to previous years, hovering just under 1%, the sheer magnitude of the increase highlights the ever-expanding human footprint on the planet.
The projected world population on January 1, 2024, is 8,019,876,189, an increase of 75,162,541 from New Year's Day 2023.
According to a report by The Forbes, in November 2022, the U.N. estimated the world population reached 8 billion people, 11 years after reaching the 7 billion milestone, with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres attributing population growth to "scientific breakthroughs and improvements in nutrition, public health, and sanitation."
Due to factors like decreasing fertility rates and a smaller proportion of young people, the Census Bureau anticipates that achieving a global population of 9 billion will take slightly over 14 years. Furthermore, reaching the 10 billion mark is projected to take an additional 16.4 years, reflecting a decelerating growth rate.
The Covid-19 pandemic impacted population growth as well, with global life expectancy at birth falling to 71 years in 2021 and countries experiencing unequal recovery from the pandemic across the globe, the new portal further mentioned.
