Earth welcomes its 8 billionth baby. Is that good or bad news... or a bit of both?
Sometime today, the global population is forecast to hit 8 billion. The U.N. calls it a milestone for humanity, made possible by advances in public health and medicine. But there are also challenges.
MUMBAI, India – Today, somewhere in the world, the first cries of a newborn baby will signify a milestone for humanity: The arrival of world's 8 billionth resident.
The United Nations is celebrating today (Nov. 15) as the "Day of 8 Billion" – the date the world's population is projected to reach 8 billion people.
There's no way to know exactly which baby puts the population over this mark. But she or he will likely be born in the Global South. The U.N. says much of the population growth expected between now and 2050 is coming from just eight countries – and half of them are in sub-Saharan Africa.
Other countries in this group of eight are in
