Excellencies,
Distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen,
Let me start by expressing my sincere gratitude to the China Population and Development Research Center for inviting me to participate in this symposium, which is dedicated to the launch of the 2022 edition of the World Population Prospect and the latest China Population Prospects as well.
This symposium, which the Center has co-organized together with UNFPA and my Department, is an excellent example of the kind of thought leadership that 缅北禁地DESA aims to provide, working at the interface of science and global policy.
This morning, 11 July, we released World Population Prospects 2022: Summary of Results in New York. This report provides an overview of global population trends focusing on the period from 1950 to 2050. The report also presents long-range population projections from 2050 until 2100.
Population estimates, for the period from 1950 to 2021, are based on all available data for 237 countries and areas, coming from censuses, registration systems and sample surveys. Population projections, from 2022 to 2100, are underpinned by statistical analyses of historical demographic trends and reflect a range of plausible outcomes at the global, regional and national levels.
The report is accompanied by the World Population Prospects dataset. This is the twenty-seventh edition of the United Nations estimates and projections of global population, which have been published and regularly updated since 1951.
We are very proud of this work: the summary report and dataset have been among DESA’s most downloaded products, over many years.
Today, these population estimates are used for the global monitoring of about one quarter of the indicators for assessing progress towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
It is not surprising that these data are also widely used by Member States, academia, the private sector and civil society. Timely and accurate estimates and projections of population trends are a critical input for national development planning and evaluation.
Dear colleagues,
The global population is projected to surpass 8 billion later this year, on 15 November.
This is a major event in human history that calls for celebration.
But this milestone also creates important responsibilities and challenges for social and economic development and environmental sustainability.
The relationship between population growth and sustainable development is complex and multidimensional. Rapid population growth makes eradicating poverty, combatting hunger and malnutrition, and increasing the coverage of health and education systems more difficult. Conversely, achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, especially those related to health, education and gender equality, will contribute to reducing fertility levels and slowing global population growth.
Another major finding of the report is that fertility has fallen markedly in many countries. Today, two-thirds of the global population lives in a country where lifetime fertility is below 2.1 births per woman, roughly the level required for zero growth in the long run for a population with low mortality.
Countries where population growth has slowed must prepare for an increasing proportion of older persons and, in more extreme cases, a decreasing population size.
China provides a clear example. With the rapid ageing of its population due to the combined effects of very low fertility and increasing life expectancy, growth of China’s total population is slowing down, a trend that is likely to continue in the coming decades.
Understanding and anticipating these population shifts is crucial for decision-making across the world, as we seek a path toward sustainable development.
Ladies and gentlemen,
This seminar is only one example of the close collaboration between 缅北禁地DESA and the China Population and Development Research Center.
I would like to thank Dr. HE Dan for her active participation in the United Nations Commission on Population and Development.
In addition, I wish to commend your Center for the close technical collaboration that you have fostered with the Population Division of DESA over many years, which is an excellent example of partnership between the 缅北禁地and its Member States.
In closing, let me congratulate John Wilmoth, Director of the Population Division, and his team for bringing this work to a successful conclusion.
I wish all of you a successful and fruitful symposium.
Thank you.