World Population Day 2024: History, Significance, And Theme
Table of Contents
“Birth Control is a Blessing to the Earth”
While ‘The more the merrier’ is true, sometimes more can also be a problem. In a world where the population is increasing drastically every day, the consequences will be unavoidable in future. Due to lack of awareness, very few people know about World Population Day. In this blog, we will cover all the information that you need to know about World Population Day. First, let’s begin by understanding how this day came into existence.
World Population Day: History
On 11th July 1987, the world population touched 5 billion, which sparked an interest among people about the fast-growing population. In 1989, the governing body of United Nations Development Programme decided to observe World Population Day every year on 11th July. The main aim to establish this day was to understand how urgent it is to pay attention to the issues associated with world population, and enhance awareness about health, finances, reproduction, and many more such topics.
In December 1990, the resolution 45/216 made it final that every year people will celebrate 11th July World Population Day. With this day being established, The United Nations General Assembly aims to pay attention to and increase awareness about the issues faced by population, including environment and development. On 11th July 1990, more than 90 countries marked this day as World Population Day. Ever since then, many other countries, organizations and institutions have recognized this day, and celebrate it along with civil society and government.
Facts about World Population
- The current population of the world is around 8.1 billion.
- To reach 8 billion population from 7 billion, it took the world 12 years.
- In European Union, the population of women is 5% more than men.
- Covid-19 took about 2 million people in Europe.
- World’s two most populous countries are China and India.
- The world reached 3 billion population in 1960.
- The top five populous countries are India, China, USA, Indonesia and Pakistan.
- World Population Day is celebrated on 11th July, every year.
Overpopulation: Consequences
- Deforestation
- Unemployment
- Immigration
- Resource Depletion
- Poverty
- Pandemics & Epidemics
- Climate Change
Why is it important to celebrate World Population Day?
As discussed earlier, the aim of celebrating World Population Day is to increase awareness about the rising population of the world, and the problems associated with it. However, to go in depth of this aim, let’s understand the objectives for celebrating this day.
- To empower and protect youth, including both girls and boys.
- To provide detailed and right information about sexuality, reproduction and responsibilities.
- Spread awareness about unwanted pregnancies, early childbirth and pregnancy related diseases and dangers.
- To avoid early-age marriages and wait until both partners know their separate responsibilities.
- To remove stereotypes and discrimination based on sex, caste, race, gender, and more.
- Raise awareness about Sexually Transmitted Disease (STDs), its consequences and other such infections.
- Ensure access to basic and primary education for all girls and boys.
- Provide friendly, non-judgmental and enough reproductive health services specialists to guide men, women, and couples.
World Population Day: Theme
Every year, World Population Day has a different theme, thereby focusing on different issues. With World Population Day 2024 just around the corner, it is time to get our resources together, and start planning on how to celebrate this day together. World Population Day Theme in recent years are given below:
- 2023: “Unleashing the power of gender equality”
- 2022: “A world of 8 billion: towards a resilient future for all”
- 2021: “Impact of Covid-19 pandemic on fertility”
- 2020: “How to safeguard the health and rights of girls and women?”
- 2019: No specific theme since it was the 25th Anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development.
How can we celebrate 11th July 2024?
Every year on World Population Day, policy makers, advocates, grassroot organizers, government, leaders and others come together and discuss the steps they should take in respect to that year’s theme. There are many ways in which people celebrate this day every year. Let’s see some:
- Schools: In schools, children are taught about the significance of this day, followed by World Population Day activities. Students are asked to creatively think and make slogan on World Population Day, draw paintings and more.
- College/University Level: Many students take part in debates and conversations regarding how they can, as individuals help save the environment from being overly populated.
- Organizations: Many non-profit organizations and other institutions do volunteer work by reaching out to the people that lack primary education, to educate them. This sometimes also includes physically visiting sites, talking to people, educating them about over-population, spreading sexual awareness, and more.
- Social media: In a world where millions of people have access to social media, people use the power and spread awareness. This is often done by posting quotes on World Population Day and sharing creative slogan for World Population Day.
Quotes & Slogans
World Population Day Slogan
- “Be proud and control the crowd”.
- “Wise decisions today, resilient Earth ahead”.
- “By improving health, empowering women, population growth comes down”.
World Population Day Quotes
- “Crowd is like a cloud that blocks the sunshine”.
- “Share the planet, instead of creating a Stampede”.
- “Make a wish on World Population Day to enjoy a future that is less crowded”.
This World Population Day 2024, let’s all come together and make this world a better place to live in.
Also Read:- International Day Against Drug Abuse, International Yoga Day