While the world population will continue to grow for decades to come, the global trend masks a significant demographic diversity among countries.
On the one hand, there are countries with relatively high fertility and population growth, while on the other, there are ever more countries with slow growth, no growth or negative population growth. While some of the former countries are concerned about their ability to ensure universal education and formal employment for a large cohort of young people, the latter are often concerned about potential labour shortages, unsustainable pensions and rising healthcare costs associated with population ageing.
In short, demographic shifts have far-reaching implications for many development goals – economic growth, fiscal policies, public debt, poverty, inequality, work, social protection, education, health, water, sanitation, transport, housing, the environment, and the climate, among them. It is imperative that countries systematically integrate population estimates and projections into their strategic planning to ensure demographic resilience and sustainable development.
At the same time, the world is in the midst of a global data emergency in which the sustainability of the global data system itself is under threat, with many surveys lacking dependable financing, and with administrative systems (such as civil registration systems) still evolving in many countries. Integrated, people-centric data systems play a critical role in advancing population policies and programmes that expand people’s rights and choices in a changing world.
UNFPA and partners are hosting a signature side event on the margins of the fifty-ninth session of the Commission on Population and Development, exploring these demographic shifts alongside the current global data emergency, emphasizing the need for countries to prepare for future demographic realities and build resilience.
