11 July 2011, 06:00 a.m.

"Seven billion people counting each other."

11 June 2011 is World Population Day (WPF). The aim is to raise awareness on the importance of population and socio-economic development. 

The world’s population is expected to reach 7 billion in October 2011. This led the U.N. Population Fund (UNFPA) to introduce the "7 Billion Actions" campaign to to highlight the challenges, opportunities and actions that will shape our common future and raise awareness for organizations and individuals that are successfully using new techniques for tackling global development challenges.

The 7 Billion Actions campaign, which continues until 31 October 2011, will promote dialogue on what it means to live in a world with so many people and encourage action on issues that affect everybody.  

Africa: home to one billion people 

Africa, home to one billion people, is the world's second most-populous continent, after Asia. Nigeria's population alone will hit 162 million people by October this year. Africa is also the continent with the world's highest birth rate and the highest projected population growth rate to 2050.

The current world population projections point to the importance of creating opportunities for young people, who constitute the majority in many African countries, as meeting the needs of current and future generations presents daunting challenges.

In his message UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon said:"This year’s World Population Day falls during a milestone year, when we anticipate the birth of the Earth’s seven billionth inhabitant. This is an opportunity to celebrate our common humanity and our diversity. It is also a reminder of our shared responsibility to care for each other and our planet."

In 1989, in its decision 89/46, the Governing Council of the United Nations Development Programme recommended that 11 July should be observed as World Population Day.