World Population Day 2023: Date, Theme, History, Significance, and Quotes

WORLD POPULATION DAY 2023: World Population Day, observed on July 11 each year, serves as a global initiative to raise awareness about the challenges associated with rapid population growth. The escalating population numbers have significant implications for the environment and overall development. By promoting awareness, this day sheds light on the consequences of overpopulation and encourages actions to address these issues.

The primary focus of World Population Day is to highlight various population-related concerns, including the importance of family planning, poverty alleviation, maternal health, gender equality, and human rights. Recognized by the United Nations Population Fund (UNPF), this day provides an opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the progress made in these areas.

Every year on this day, a variety of events and activities are planned, primarily, in schools and universities, to raise awareness of the problems associated with the expanding population. These include seminar discussions, educational information sessions, and essay competitions.

“It took hundreds of thousands of years for the world population to grow to 1 billion – then in just another 200 years or so, it grew sevenfold. In 2011, the global population reached the 7 billion mark, it stands at almost 7.9 billion in 2021, and it’s expected to grow to around 8.5 billion in 2030, 9.7 billion in 2050, and 10.9 billion in 2100,” UN reports.

World Population Day 2023: History and Significance

World Population Day was established by the Governing Council of the United Nations Development Programme in 1989, in response to the global population surpassing five billion. The significance of this day was further recognized by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on July 11, 1990, and it has since been observed in over 90 countries.

The primary objective of World Population Day, which has been observed for more than three decades, is to raise public awareness about population control measures. It serves as a platform to draw attention to the challenges brought about by population growth and its impact on the environment.

By highlighting the consequences of population growth, World Population Day aims to encourage discussions and actions that address these issues. This day seeks to engage individuals, communities, and governments in finding and implementing strategies to ensure a balanced and sustainable future.

World Population Day 2023 Theme

According to United Nations, the theme for World Population Day 2023 is: Unleashing the power of gender equality: Uplifting the voices of women and girls to unlock our world’s infinite possibilities.

World Population Day 2023: Quotes

1. “When the family is small, whatever little they have they are able to share. There is peace.” – Philip Njuguna.
2. “Population growth is the primary source of environmental damage.” –Jacques Yves Cousteau.
3. “Our human population continues to expand at such a scary rate – it’s unbelievable.” – Bindi Irwin.
4. “Rapid population growth and technological innovation, combined with our lack of understanding of how the natural systems of which we are a part work, have created a mess.” – David Suzuki.
5. “Almost half of the population of the world lives in rural regions and mostly in a state of poverty. Such inequalities in human development have been one of the primary reasons for unrest and, in some parts of the world, even violence.” – A P J Abdul Kalam.
6. “Food is something that is taken for granted by most world leaders despite the fact that more than half of the population of the world is hungry.” – Norman Borlaug.