How has the world changed in the last 20 years? (2023)

UNITED NATIONS, New York -Twenty years ago, the international community came together in Cairo, Egypt, to study how the world is changing and how those changes are affecting the most vulnerable. At the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) meeting in 1994, the world agreed that population issues, including voluntary family planning, maternal and child health, migration and gender equality, are not just about about counting people, but about making sure that every person counts.

At the conference, 179 governments signed the ICPD Program of Action, which recognizes that women, their rights and equality are global development priorities. Governments have committed to: guarantee universal access to services and rights related to voluntary family planning, sexual and reproductive health; ensure gender equality and equal access to education; address the effects of urbanization and migration; and support sustainable development.

Today's world is completely different, transformed by the digital revolution and advances in medicine and human knowledge. But has it changed as you might expect?

Below, UNFPA reflects on some of the biggest differences in our world and what more needs to be done.

1. The world currently has the largest generation of young people in history.

Youth and young people aged 10-24 accounted for 28% of the world's population in 2010. The world needs to invest in the needs and rights of this group, supporting their access to quality healthcare and education, secure job opportunities paid and free from abuses such as early marriages and pregnancies.¹

2. The proportion of people living in extreme poverty has nearly halved, but economic inequality is now increasing.

The percentage of people living on less than $1.25 a day fell from 47 to 47 percent. in 1990 to 22 percent. in 2010. However, rising inequality could undermine these gains.

Today, 8 percent of the world's population owns 82 percent of the world's wealth, and more than a billion people still live in extreme poverty without access to social protection, decent work, public health, or education. The gains made in the last 20 years cannot be sustained if we do not address inequality.^1,2

3. In the last 20 years, the world population has increased by about a quarter, from 5.66 billion to 7.24 billion.

Every one of the world's 7.2 billion people, and everyone else to come, deserves to have their human rights and dignity respected and protected. This includes ensuring equal rights for women and universal access to sexual and reproductive health and rights.³

4. But the population grows more slowly.

Twenty years ago, the population grew by 1.52 percent. annually. Today it has risen 1.15%. annually. On the current trajectory, we can expect the world population to reach 9.55 billion by 2050.^1,3Population growth has slowed as...

5. Women give birth to fewer children.

In 1994, the average woman had three children. Currently, the fertility rate is about 2.5 children per woman. Lower fertility means better outcomes for women, as pregnancy carries risks that increase a woman's chance of dying.

Yet fertility rates remain high in some of the world's poorest places. In 18 countries, the fertility rate is at least five children per woman.^1,3

6. Teenage birth rates have been reduced by 50 percent or more in many countries.

Adolescent fertility rates have declined. Despite this, 20,000 girls under the age of 18 give birth every day in developing countries. Each year 70,000 adolescents die from complications related to pregnancy and childbirth.^3,4

7. Contraceptive use has increased in the last two decades, but there is still a great unmet need.

Most women say they want two to four children. Safe and modern contraceptives and family planning services help women achieve these goals by preventing unwanted pregnancies.

However, between 2008 and 2012, the proportion of married women in developing countries who used modern contraceptives only changed from 56% to 57%. Approximately 222 million women do not have access to modern contraceptive methods.^5,6,7

8. The number of maternal deaths has been reduced by almost half.

Since 1994, deaths related to complications during pregnancy and childbirth have been reduced by 47 percent. In those days, there were more than half a million maternal deaths each year.

But more needs to be done. Today, 800 maternal deaths occur every day, and the leading causes—postpartum hemorrhage, sepsis, birth defects, complications from unsafe abortion, and hypertensive disorders—are all preventable.^1,3

9. Child deaths have been cut almost in half.

Deaths of children under five years of age fell from 90 per 1,000 live births in 1990 to 48 per 1,000 live births in 2012. An important factor contributing to this decline is the increase in education for women and girls. When women and girls are educated, they are empowered to make better decisions for themselves and their families. Girls' education is associated with lower rates of child marriage, lower rates of teen pregnancy, and greater access to health care for mothers and children, all of which improve child survival.^1,7,8

10. The number of deliveries taking place under the care of a skilled caregiver (doctor, midwife or nurse) has increased.

The proportion of deliveries attended by skilled medical personnel has increased in developing countries, from 56% in 1990 to 67% in 2011. Skilled attendance at delivery is one of the most important ways to ensure a safe delivery for both mother and child. for the baby This, along with increased access to prenatal care, emergency maternity care, and family planning services, explains much of the decline in maternal deaths.^1,6,7

11. Globally, life expectancy has increased by 5.2 years.

Life expectancy increased from 64.8 years in 1990-1995 to 70 years in 2010-2015. The largest increases were registered in the least developed countries, where life expectancy increased by 8.9 years.

Yet too many women die prematurely, often from pregnancy-related causes or extreme poverty, as a result of their inferior status around the world.^1,3

12. Fewer abortions are performed.

Globally, abortion rates have decreased from 35 per 1,000 women in 1995 to 29 per 1,000 women in 2008. This has resulted in a decline in the total number of abortions, despite population growth.

But improving access to sexual and reproductive health services, including voluntary family planning, would further reduce those numbers. Addressing unmet need for family planning would prevent 54 million unintended pregnancies and reduce the number of abortions by 26 million.^1,5,9

13. The number of people infected with HIV/AIDS has been drastically reduced.

Between 2001 and 2012, the number of new HIV infections fell by 33 percent. Despite these advances, more can still be done to prevent the spread of the disease, especially among young people. In 2009, 41 percent of new HIV infections occurred in young people between the ages of 15 and 24. Age-appropriate comprehensive sexuality education helps young people protect themselves against STIs, including HIV.^1,9,10

14. But there has been a significant increase in serious and treatable sexually transmitted infections.

The incidence of the four major treatable STDs (syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and trichomoniasis) has skyrocketed among people ages 15 to 49, from 333 million cases in 1995 to 499 million cases in 2008. This development highlights the importance of equip young people with the sexual and reproductive health knowledge and services they need to stay healthy.^1,9

15. More people are dying from non-communicable diseases.

Deaths from noncommunicable diseases such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory diseases increased by 30 percent between 1990 and 2010. Most of these diseases are strongly linked to four harmful behaviors that often begin in adolescence: smoking, alcohol abuse, lack of exercise and poor nutrition.

Teens need to be given the tools to protect themselves from these and other harms. Lifelong health education must start with young people along with comprehensive sexuality education.^1,9

16. There are more boys in school than ever before, with the biggest increase among girls.

Primary enrollment rates rose from more than three-quarters in 1990 to around 90% in 2010. This is a particularly strong victory for girls, who have achieved parity in primary enrollment in most countries . Girls with access to education can avoid teen pregnancy and have better access to health care and livelihoods. They and their future families are healthier and more likely to lift themselves out of poverty.

However, gender inequalities in education persist, with girls lagging behind boys in secondary school enrollment.^{1,11,12,13,14}

17. The world is increasingly urbanized.

The world's urban population grew by 1.6 billion between 1994 and 2014. More than half of the world's population now lives in cities.

However, much of this growth is happening in the slums. In 1990, more than 650 million people lived in slums. In 2010, that number was 820 million. Impoverished women and girls in urban areas are particularly vulnerable: they are less likely to access reproductive health, education and security services.^1,3,14

18. More people are migrating than ever before.

There are more international immigrants than ever. In 1990, 154 million people left their home countries in search of new opportunities. In 2013, that number was 232 million.

Migration offers significant opportunities and helps fuel growth. But it can also expose migrants, especially women and girls, to abuses such as human trafficking, exploitation and discrimination.^1,3,14

19. The world is getting old.

Older people, ages 60 and older, are the fastest growing age group in the world. The number of older people increased from 490 million in 1990 to 765 million in 2010.

The world needs to do more to meet the needs of this group, including through systems and social protection to ensure their safety and meaningful participation in society.^1,3

20. Record numbers of people are displaced within their countries as a result of conflict or violence, disproportionately affecting women and girls.

Gender-based violence is often exacerbated by conflict and displacement; protections are removed and sexual violence is used as a tactic of war. Twenty years ago, the world saw record numbers of people internally displaced by armed conflict. However, the current figures are even higher: in 2012, 28.8 million people were internally displaced due to conflict, violence or human rights violations. In addition, an estimated 15.4 million people have been forced to leave their countries as refugees.^1,14

Much more work to do

And there are many other reasons why the world hasn't changed enough.

Female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) and child marriage remain common in many parts of the world, even in countries where the practice has been banned. Every year, 3 million girls, most of whom are under the age of 15, are at risk of FGM/C. And if current trends continue, 142 million more girls will be married before the age of 18 by 2020.

Gender-based violence remains a global epidemic. It is estimated that one in three women experiences physical or sexual violence, most of the time by an intimate partner. And in a recent survey of 10,000 men in Asia and the Pacific, one in four admitted to rape.

Discrimination against women continues in every community around the world and the belief in gender equality is not yet widespread. Women are still denied equal access to opportunity and the ability to determine the direction of their lives.

This week, the United Nations Commission on Population and Development will hold its 47th session to address many of these issues, reviewing the progress made and the important work that remains to be done. As the last 20 years have shown, human rights, including the rights of women and girls, must be placed at the center of global development.

– Rebecca Zerzan

^{1. Framework for follow-up to the Post-2014 Program of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development, Report of the Secretary General, distributed on February 12, 2014, A/69/62
2.}ICPD Sustainability Fact Sheet <sup>, February 2014
3. Global Population Trends, Report of the Secretary-General, January 21, 2014, E/CN.9/2014/3
4. UNFPA,</sup>State of the world population: a mother in childhood facing the challenge of adolescent pregnancy <sup>, 2013
5. Singh Si Darroch JE, Adding Up: Costs and Benefits of Contraceptive Services - 2012 Estimates , Nowy Jork: Guttmacher Institute and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), 2012
6.</sup>ICPD Global Review Report Press Release
^{7. ICPD Beyond 2014 – Framework for Action, Summary na temat ustaleń ICPD Beyond 2014 Review,}Powerpoint Presentation
^{8. A renewed promise , UNICEF, September 2013
9.}ICPD Health Fact Sheet ^{, February 2014
10 Report on the global AIDS epidemic , UNAIDS, 2013
11}ICPD fact sheet on dignity and human rights ^{, February 2014
12 Report on the state of the world's children , UNICEF, 1994
13 Report on the state of the world's children , UNICEF, 2014
14}ICPD fact sheet on location and mobility ^{, February 2014}