日出时的东京，日本 Tokyo at sunrise, Japan (© pongnathee kluaythong/Getty Images)

日出时的东京，日本 Tokyo at sunrise, Japan (© pongnathee kluaythong/Getty Images)

把我们都算上 Counting us all in

世界人口日

我们生活的地球早已人满为患，并且仍在不断变得更加拥挤。目前全球人口已达82亿，且呈持续增长之势。世界人口日旨在引发人们对人口增长如何影响城市发展、粮食供给与未来前景的思考。该纪念日设立于1989年，聚焦于不受控的人口增长对可持续性带来的影响，其灵感源自1987年全球人口首次突破50亿的“50亿人口日”。随着城市不断扩张，绿地面积减少，农业也在有限的土地和水资源中展开竞争。然而前路并非无解：通过教育投资、改善医疗可及性，以及建设更智慧的城市，人口增长与可持续发展之间可以实现平衡。

从全球数据来看，至2025年，印度仍将是全球人口最多的国家，人口数预计超过14.6亿；其次是中国，人口约14.1亿；美国以约3.39亿人口位居第三，尽管其增长速度趋缓，人口老龄化正成为新的社会挑战。当前全球人口最多的城市是日本东京，人口约3,720万，它呈现出高密度城市生活的实际图景：空间紧张、交通拥堵，以及公共服务需求高企。世界人口日不只是人口统计，更是呼吁我们要进行具前瞻性的规划，以确保子孙后代能在资源有限的地球上能持续繁荣发展。

World Population Day

We are living in a full house, and it is getting fuller. With 8.2 billion people and counting, World Population Day highlights how that growth affects cities, food, and the future. First observed in 1989, the day focuses on how unchecked population growth affects sustainability. The event was inspired by Five Billion Day in 1987, which marked the approximate date when the global population hit that milestone. As cities expand, green spaces shrink, and agriculture competes for limited land and water resources. But there is a way forward—investing in education, improving access to healthcare, and building smarter cities can balance growth with sustainability.

On a global scale, India remains the most populous country in 2025 with over 1.46 billion people, followed by China at 1.41 billion. The United States trails with around 339 million, though its growth is slowing and aging populations are becoming a new challenge. Tokyo, the world's largest city with around 37.2 million people, illustrates the realities of high-density urban life: overcrowded spaces, transport congestion, and rising demand for services. World Population Day is more than a head count—it's a call for better planning and long-term thinking to ensure future generations can thrive on a planet with finite resources.