XIONGAN, China, 12 July 2024 – On the occasion of the 35th World Population Day and the 30th anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in China, in partnership with the Population Division of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), China Population and Development Research Centre (CPDRC), and China Population Association (CPA), organized a seminar on the latest projections of global and China population trends in the Xiongan New Area.

With a global theme of “Embracing the power of inclusive data towards a resilient and equitable future for all,” the World Population Day this year highlights the significance of population data for sustainable development.

According to data from the UN Population Division, the world population is expected to peak in this century – growing over the next sixty years from 8.2 billion in 2024 to around 10.3 billion people in the mid-2080s, and then return to 10.2 billion people by the end of the century.

One in four people globally live in a country whose population has already peaked in size. In 63 countries and areas, representing 28 per cent of the world’s population in 2024, the size of their population peaked before 2024.

“China is experiencing one of the most rapid demographic transitions in the world, there is a need to produce further data to understand individual’s reproductive aspirations and access to social, health, and education services,” said Ms. Ira Ovesen, Officer-in-Charge of UNFPA China.

“As a result of socio-economic development, China is seeing declining fertility, rapid population ageing and urbanization. To respond to the evolving demographic transition, we are strengthening population surveillance and projections and improving data collection and analysis,” said Mr. Yang Jinrui, Deputy Director-General, Department of Population Surveillance and Family Development, National Health Commission of China. 

Led by CPRDC, the national population projections of China in 2024 highlights that the country will continue to experience low fertility and the number of older persons aged 80 and above will double the current size by 2050. The labour force will decline while women’s labour participation rate will remain at a high level. 

About 80 people from the Government of China, the United Nations system, academia, research institutions and media participated in the event.  

• For more information on World Population Prospects 2024, please visit: https://population.un.org/.
• For more information, please contact: Shujun Liu, Communications Analyst, UNFPA China, sliu@unfpa.org.