11 Nov 2022

Population set to hit 8 billion milestone next week

From Nights, 10:25 pm on 11 November 2022

We are not alone - quite literally. According to United Nations (UN) projections, the population of this giant rotating ball called Earth will hit a key milestone next week.

On November 15, the world's population is projected to reach 8 billion. What does the milestone mean for us humans, and, more importantly, the planet?

Dr Robert Bartholomew is a sociologist and senior honorary lecturer at the University of Auckland, and talks to Karyn Hay.

Sunrise over Earth, illustration. (Photo by Visible Earth, NASA/JOHAN SWANEP / JSW / Science Photo Library via AFP)

Photo: Visible Earth, NASA/JOHAN SWANEPOEL/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY