The Day of Seven Billion, 31 October 2011, is the day that was officially designated by the
United Nations Population Fund
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), formerly the United Nations Fund for Population Activities, is a UN agency aimed at improving reproductive and maternal health worldwide. Its work includes developing national healthcare strategies ...
(UNFPA) as the approximate day on which the
world's population reached seven billion people.
[World Population Prospects, the 2008 Revision Frequently Asked Questions]
Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat updated November 10, 2010. Retrieved January 26, 2011 United Nations Secretary General
Ban Ki-moon
Ban Ki-moon (; ; born 13 June 1944) is a South Korean politician and diplomat who served as the eighth secretary-general of the United Nations between 2007 and 2016. Prior to his appointment as secretary-general, Ban was his country's Minister ...
spoke at the
United Nations building in New York City on this new milestone in the size of world population and the issues that it will raise, along with promoting the UNFPA's new program named
7 Billion Actions,
which will seek to "build global awareness around the opportunities and challenges associated with a world of seven billion people" and inspire individuals and organizations to take action.
It was succeeded by the
Day of Eight Billion
The Day of Eight Billion, marked at 8:00 a.m. UTC+0 on 15 November 2022, was designated by the United Nations as the approximate day when the world population reached eight billion people. It follows the Day of Seven Billion, which w ...
on 15 November 2022.
Background
The world had already reached a population of five billion on 11 July 1987,
and six billion, twelve years later on 12 October 1999.
United Nations Population Fund spokesman Omar Gharzeddine disputed the date of the
Day of Six Billion
The United Nations Population Fund designated 12 October 1999, as the approximate day on which world population reached six billion following the birth of Adnan Mević, the first son of Fatima Helać and Jasminko Mević, in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Her ...
by stating, "The U.N. marked the '6 billionth'
ersonin 1999, and then a couple of years later the Population Division itself reassessed its calculations and said, actually, no, it was in 1998."
Choice of date
According to the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs Population Division, 31 October 2011 is a symbolic date chosen based on data interpolated from its 5-year-period estimates. The estimates are based on data sources such as recent censuses, surveys, vital and population registers, and published every other year as part of its ''World Population Prospects''.
The actual date that the world population reached 7 billion had an error margin of around 12 months owing to inaccuracies in demographic statistics, particularly in some developing countries (even the world's best censuses have 1–2% error). Assuming a 1% global error margin, the 7 billion world population could have been reached as early as 20 March 2011 or as late as 12 April 2012.
However, the International Programs Division of the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
estimated that total world population would not reach 7 billion until sometime on 12 March 2012. It also offered an estimate that differed by about three months from the UN estimate for the Day of Six Billion.
The
International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis
The International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) is an independent international research institute located in Laxenburg, near Vienna, in Austria. Through its research programs and initiatives, the institute conducts policy-o ...
estimated a date between February 2012 and July 2014.
Seven billionth person
United Nations Population Fund spokesman Omar Gharzeddine said, "There's no way that the U.N. or anyone could know where or at what minute on the 31st the 7 billionth baby will be born", and the United Nations is not giving official status to this and similar publicity efforts.
[Cosmic Log – 7 billion people? How do they know?](_blank)
Nevertheless, several newborns were selected by various groups to represent the seven billionth person.
On the Day of Seven Billion, the group
Plan International
Plan International is a development and humanitarian organisation which works in over 75 countries across Africa, the Americas, and Asia to advance children’s rights and equality for girls. Its focus is on child protection, education, child par ...
symbolically marked the birth of the 7 billionth human with a ceremony in the
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
n state of
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populated state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was established in 1950 ...
where a birth certificate was presented to a newly born baby girl, Nargis Kumar, in order to protest
sex-selective abortion
Sex-selective abortion is the practice of terminating a pregnancy based upon the predicted sex of the infant. The selective abortion of female fetuses is most common where male children are valued over female children, especially in parts of Eas ...
in the state. The Indian girl to boy ratio for 0–6-year-olds is at 914 girls per 1,000 boys nationwide, with Uttar Pradesh's one of the lowest at 889 girls for every thousand boys.
Other babies selected include Danica May Camacho, born in the
Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital
Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital, the National Maternity Hospital, is a maternal and newborn tertiary hospital located in Santa Cruz, Manila in the Philippines. It also houses the Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital School of Midwifery, one of the ...
,
Manila
Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...
,
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
just before midnight on the eve of the Day of Seven Billion,
and Wattalage Muthumai, of
Colombo
Colombo ( ; si, කොළඹ, translit=Koḷam̆ba, ; ta, கொழும்பு, translit=Koḻumpu, ) is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. According to the Brookings Institution, Colombo me ...
,
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
.
See also
*
Day of Eight Billion
The Day of Eight Billion, marked at 8:00 a.m. UTC+0 on 15 November 2022, was designated by the United Nations as the approximate day when the world population reached eight billion people. It follows the Day of Seven Billion, which w ...
*
Day of Six Billion
The United Nations Population Fund designated 12 October 1999, as the approximate day on which world population reached six billion following the birth of Adnan Mević, the first son of Fatima Helać and Jasminko Mević, in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Her ...
References
External links
7 Billion Actions homepage
{{Population
United Nations Population Fund
Population statistics
2011 in international relations