Population
Introduction¶
The population snapshot module is included in the pilot edition of the Barometer in recognition of the importance of population data to achieving the 2030 Agenda to leave no one behind. The world population is expected to grow from 7.9 billion in 2021 to 9.7 billion in 2050, according to projections by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Understanding population data is fundamental for developing and assessing social and economic policies, particularly those focused on poverty reduction, as well as providing an essential evidence base for national and local policymakers.
Prospective Indicators¶
Population Data and the Public Good¶
The availability of accurate and reliable information about a country’s population is critical for understanding a country's shifting demographics, and serves as the foundation for evidence-based policy and strategic planning. It is only with high-quality population data, along with the capacity to access and use such data, that governments will be in a position to achieve the sustainable development goals (UNFPA). About 45 percent of SDG indicators require sound and reliable population data. Population data not only describes the size of a country's population, it grounds future projections and helps to identify inequities and track the effects of interventions designed to address them. However, as Pelletier (2020) notes, there remains "no internationally agreed standards for producing annual population statistics" (8), a problem identified by the United Nations Task Team on Population Estimates in 2008; further, undercounts are common.
Population data becomes even more useful when it is differentiated across various dimensions, including age, sex, residence, education, labor force status, occupation, migration status, and other attributes. At the same time, great care must be taken to protect individuals' and communities' privacy.