Cape Town - Early on Tuesday morning the world population officially reached 8 billion, surpassing its last milestone of 7 billion in 2011.
While commemorating this milestone on Tuesday, Statistics South Africa (StatsSA) revealed that the country had the 25th highest population with 60.86 million people.
At a briefing hosted by StatsSA and the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), officials said that while it was difficult to record the 8th billionth child that was born, it was believed that a child, born at 1:29am on November 15 in the Philippines, represented the 8th billion child across the globe.
StatsSA chief director of demography and population statistics Diego Iturralde told the Cape Argus: “When we speak about 8 billion people, the reaction might be one of alarm because there are so many of us, and this may be informed by environmental demands and if the planet is able to accommodate so many of us, falling fertility or out of control migration.”
However, Iturralde said said the real message they took from the 8 billion mark was not to focus on the number, but rather on creating the conditions that made it possible for these 8 billion people to live sustainably on earth.
UNFPA resident representative Bannet Ndyanabangi said: "In order to usher in a world in which all 8 billion people can thrive, we must look to proven and effective solutions to mitigate our world's challenges and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), while prioritising human rights."
Iturralde said the country’s population hit a "sweet spot", with a highly favourable age distribution profile of a large youthful and working-age population, and proportionally fewer very old and very young children.
Iturralde believed that this youthful demographic was critical to help South Africa to accelerate its pace and close the gap in addressing its challenges, through more targeted policy actions and investments in health, education, governance, and economics.
“South Africa’s population is projected to reach 70 million in 2035. Such a milestone should be used as a catalyst for pursuing economic and social investments to improve the lives of every South African.
“Policies should be viewed through a youth lens. Investing in the social, economic, health and political landscape to ensure a better tomorrow for all South Africans,” Iturralde said.