The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs announced on Monday that the world population is expected to reach eight billion on November 15, also anticipating that India will replace China and become the most populous country in 2023.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said in a statement that while the world population is expected to reach eight billion, this "is a reminder of our shared responsibility to care for our planet and a moment to reflect on our commitments to one another which we still fail to uphold," without mentioning specific cases.

Guterres explained that it is also "an occasion to celebrate our diversity, recognize our shared humanity, and express admiration for progress made in health, which has extended life expectancy and significantly reduced maternal and child mortality rates."

According to the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the world population is currently growing at its slowest pace since 1950. It could reach about 8.5 billion in 2030 and 9.7 billion in 2050, with a peak expected at around 10.4 billion in the 2080s, remaining at that level until 2100.

While a clear decline in fertility rates has been observed in several countries considered developed, the expected increase in the Earth's population in the coming decades will be concentrated more than half in eight countries: the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Tanzania, according to the United Nations.