UN: World population to surpass 8 billion by Nov.15

The United Nations says the world's population is projected to reach 8 billion on November 15th of this year and could grow to around 8.5 billion in 2030 and 10.4 billion by the end of the century.

John Wilmoth, Director,UN Population Division,  said "The global population will continue to grow and could reach 9.7 billion in 2050. It is projected to reach a peak of around 10.4 billion people during the 2080s and to remain at that level until 2100. ..We currently project that India will surpass China to become the world's most populous nation as early as next year, or 2023."

The U.N. report said the population growth is caused in part by declining levels of mortality, as reflected in increased levels of life expectancy at birth.  Globally, life expectancy reached 72.8 years in 2019, an increase of almost 9 years since 1990.Further reductions in mortality are projected to result in an average longevity of around 77.2 years globally in 2050.