World Population Day 2021: History, significance and theme of occassion observed on 11 July

World Population Day is observed every year on 11 July to remind people of the challenges being faced due to overpopulation. The day is marked to call for attention to issues like the importance of family planning, child marriage, gender equality, human rights, and others. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic and fear, there has been a lot of focus on creating awareness about overpopulation on a national or global level so that the world ensures a long-term growth of our existing resources. As per statistics, the world population passed the 7 billion mark in 2011, and it now stands roughly at 7.7 billion. Theme for World Population Day 2021 This year amid the coronavirus pandemic and vaccination drive, the theme for World Population Day is the “impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on fertility”. History of World Population Day On 11 July, 1987, World Population Day was put forward in public attention as the world’s population surpassed the five billion mark. The World Population Day was commemorated and recognised by the United Nations General Assembly in December 1990. Since then, the day has been observed and acknowledged every year. Significance of World Population Day On this special day, the world comes together with the goal of highlighting the difficulties created by overpopulation. It also raises awareness about how overpopulation may harm the ecosystem and the progress or growth of humanity. Currently, India has the world’s second-largest population after China.