Its Population Has An Increase Of 180 Million Souls, India Is Predicted To Be The Most Populous Country In The World Next Year

Illustration of India. (Wikimedia Commons/Michael T Balek)

JAKARTA - India is predicted to become the most populous country in the world to replace China next year, when the United Nations says the world's population reaches 8 billion on Tuesday, before birth rates begin to slow down.

In a statement, the United Nations said the figure meant the world's population of 1 billion within 12 years.

"This unprecedented growth is caused by a gradual increase in human life due to improving public health, nutrition, personal hygiene, and medicines. This is also the result of high and persistent fertility rates in several countries," the UN statement said., reported by CNN November 16.

Medium-income countries, mostly in Asia, accounted for most of the growth over the past decade, gaining around 700 million people since 2011.

India added that about 180 million people are expected to surpass China as the world's most populous country next year.

But, as the global population hit new highs, demographics noted that growth rates continued to decline to less than 1 percent per year.

This will prevent the world from reaching 9 billion people by 2037. The United Nations projects the global population will peak around 10.4 billion people by the 2080s and stay at that level until 2100.

Most of the 2.4 billion people to be added before the peak of the global population will be born in sub-Saharan Africa, according to the United Nations, marking a shift from China and India.

Achieving the global 8 billion population "is an opportunity to celebrate diversity and progress while considering mankind's shared responsibility for the planet," UN Secretary-General Ant flagio Guterres said in a UN statement.

Having more people on Earth puts more pressure on nature, as humans compete with wildlife for water, food and space.

Meanwhile, rapid population growth combined with climate change is also likely to lead to mass migration and conflict in the coming decades, experts say.

Resources pressure will be very frightening in African countries, where the population is expected to rise rapidly, experts say. It is also among the countries most vulnerable to climate impacts, and needs climate funding the most.