PURPOSE: By the resolution 45/216 since 1989, The World Population Day is observed every year on 11 July, The Day seeks to focus attention on the urgency and importance of population issues, including their relations to the environment and development. A population and housing census is among the most complex and massive peacetime exercises a nation can undertake. It requires careful planning, resourcing and implementation – from mapping an entire country, mobilizing and training large numbers of enumerators, and conducting major public awareness campaigns, to canvassing all households, carefully monitoring census activities, and analysing, disseminating and using the resulting data. The United Nations Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs conducts demographic research, supports intergovernmental processes at the United Nations in the area of population data, population development, and assists countries in developing their capacity to produce and analyse population data and information.
FORUM: "Unleashing the power of gender equality: Uplifting the voices of women and girls to unlock our world’s infinite possibilities." World Population Day 2023. Women and girls make up 49.7% of the global population, yet women and girls are often ignored in discussions on demographics, with their rights violated in population policies. This pervasive injustice keeps women and girls out of school, the workforce and leadership positions; limits their agency and ability to make decisions about their health and sexual and reproductive lives; and heightens their vulnerability to violence, harmful practices and preventable maternal death, with a woman dying every two minutes due to pregnancy or childbirth. We must advance gender equality to create a more just, resilient and sustainable world. The creativity, ingenuity, resources and power of women and girls are fundamental to addressing demographic and other challenges that threaten our future, including climate change and conflict. When women and girls are empowered by societies to exert autonomy over their lives and bodies, they and their families thrive. Follow the conversations with the hashtags: #womenandgirls, #WorldPopulationDay; #11July; #HarnessingOpportunities, #Infinitepossibilities.
EVENTS: On July 11th; to mark the World Population Day 2023, the UNFPA and the Specialized agencies will highlight the need support women and girls around the world, and to advance gender equality to help realize the dreams of all 8 billion of us on our planet. This World Population Day is a reminder that we can achieve the prosperous, peaceful and sustainable future envisioned by the ICPD and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development if we harness the power of every human being on the planet. When we unlock the full potential of women and girls – encouraging and nurturing their desires for their lives, their families and their careers – we galvanize half the leadership, ideas, innovation, and creativity to better society.
PUBLICATIONS: Read the World Population Propects and the 2023 State of World Population report.
STATEMENTS: Read the statements from the United Nations Secretary-General on World Population Day 2023; July 11th and the Statement from the UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Natalia Kanem on World Population Day 2023; July 11th.
PODCASTS: Focusing exclusively on population totals and growth rates misses the point – and often leads to coercive and counter-productive measures and the erosion of human rights. In fact, people are the solution, not the problem. Experience shows that investing in people, in their rights and choices, is the path to peaceful, prosperous and sustainable societies. Listen to the audio-podcasts!
CAMPAIGN MATERIALS: “What women and girls want matters.” Get the communication materials!
WHY WE CELEBRATE THE DAY?
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PARTNERSHIPS
The World Population Day is co-hosted by the United Nations Information Centres; The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP); The U.N. Population Division of the United Nations Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA); The U.N. Data; The United Nations Statistical Division; The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA); The Institut national d'études démographiques (INED); The Oxford University iInitiative - Our World in Data. We work also with many partners, both within and outside the United Nations system, including Governments, non-governmental organizations, civil society, faith-based organizations, religious leaders and others, to organize the Day.
World Population Day is an annual event, observed on July 11th every year, which seeks to raise awareness of global population issues. The event was established by the Governing Council of the United Nations Development Programme in 1989. Despite these challenges, the story behind 8 billion and how we’ve got here is a story of triumph. We have reduced poverty and achieved remarkable advancements in healthcare. There are more of us humans than ever before due, in part, to increasing life expectancy and declining infant and maternal mortality. The UNFPA works to support family planning by: ensuring a steady, reliable supply of quality contraceptives; strengthening national health systems; advocating for policies supportive of family planning; and gathering data to support this work. UNFPA also provides global leadership in increasing access to family planning, by convening partners – including governments – to develop evidence and policies, and by offering programmatic, technical and financial assistance to developing countries.
The challenges facing humanity are acute: generation-defining issues such as climate change, conflict and COVID-19 are disproportionately affecting the most marginalized and vulnerable among us.
Enhance awareness of population issues, including their relations to the environment and development.
Help people who live in poverty.
Give assistance to people who suffer from hunger and malnutrition.
Adopt the 9 standards to uphold the human right to family planning.
Give access to healthcare and social protection.
Help children and Youth to complete quality primary and secondary education.
Recognize the fundamental right for women to make decisions over their bodies and futures.