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8 billion people

15th november 2022

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welcome to gilead

Our new report on coercive pronatalism

Do you agree that choice matters?

JOIN OUR GLOBAL SMALL FAMILY
Our vision is of a future in which our population co-exists in harmony with nature and prospers on a healthy planet, to the benefit of all.​
“All our environmental problems become easier to solve with fewer people, and harder – and ultimately impossible – to solve with ever more people.”
David Attenborough

Sir David Attenborough
Population Matters patron

Current world population

The issue

The facts

Our population has become so large that the Earth is struggling to cope. Right now, we add more than 80 million people a year.

Solutions

Ending population growth can be achieved through positive, empowering, choice-based actions which improve people’s lives and bring multiple other benefits.

Mythbusting

There are many misconceptions about population – what the numbers say, what the impact is, and what population campaigners want to do about it. We look at some of the common myths – and provide the answers.

Population Explorer

Our Population Explorer is an interactive online tool providing insights into population growth and its impacts on nature, climate change and our demand for the Earth’s resources. Why not try it out now!

Take action

Gilead Watch: Protect womens’ rights from pronatal politicians

Population Matters’ 2021 report, Welcome to Gilead, examined how policymakers across the world are promoting and implementing policies to increase birth rates that abuse women’s reproductive rights.

Urgent: Governments must tackle population to save biodiversity

To prevent further biodiversity loss, we must address the impact of our growing human population. In the run-up to the crucial COP15 biodiversity summit later this year, please call on your country’s environment minister to ensure that positive, choice-based population solutions are included in the new global biodiversity agreement.

Urge the UK Foreign secretary to reverse devastating aid cuts

The UK Government’s planned aid cuts will deal a devastating blow to the most vulnerable women and girls. Urge the Foreign Secretary James Cleverly to reverse this terrible move.

Join the global family

Sadly, millions of people still don’t have the freedom to choose. Join the growing family of people around the world who believe that #ChoiceMatters and who have committed to planning for…

LATEST NEWS

  • Young girl looks in mirror, menstrual hygiene, child marriage

    Menstruation, child marriage & fertility rates: the linkages

    Globally, 66% of girls, on average, know nothing about menstruation until menarche – their first period. This injustice contributes highly to early school dropouts, child marriage, and childbearing.

  • Pronatalism in the UK: should we be worried?

    The recent NatCon convention attracted a lot of newspaper column inches and backbencher Miriam Cates made a bit of a splash with a speech focusing on the importance of having children. Is there anything to be wary about here? 

  • Springing into Action for our Planet

    Today is the International Day of Biodiversity, which marks the end of Population Matters’ Spring Action Month. What a month it has been! Here’s a quick recap of some of the highlights.

NEWSLETTER

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