UNITED NATIONS, New York— The challenges confronting humanity as the world’s population reaches 7 billion on 31 October will be presented in a new report by UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund.

The State of World Population 2011: People and possibilities in a world of 7 billion, to be launched on 26 October, shows that actions we take today could determine whether world population will grow to 10 billion or 16 billion by the end of the century, and could ensure that our future is more equitable and environmentally sustainable.

The State of World Population 2011 will be released in Berlin, Canberra, The Hague, London, Moscow, Rome, Stockholm, Tokyo, Washington, D.C., and some 120 other capitals worldwide. It will be available in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.

The embargoed report and related materials will be available to journalists online, starting on 17 October. To access the materials, journalists must register at /swp/register/.

For information about the report, or to arrange interviews, contact:

Omar Gharzeddine, +1 212 297 5028, gharzeddine@unfpa.org
Richard Kollodge, +1 212 297 4992, kollodge@unfpa.org