Baby girl born in Philippines is named world's eight billionth person

By Nicola Davis

Baby Vinice Mabansag, born in the Philippines, has been officially named the world’s eight billionth person by the United Nations and it comes just 11 years since the landmark seven billion was reached

A baby girl born in the Philippines has been officially named the world’s eight billionth person.

Baby Vinice Mabansag was born at the Dr Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital in Tondo, in Manila on November 15 and has been chosen by the UN for the milestone number.

It comes just 11 years after the total hit seven billion amid an increase in longer lifespans.

But the hike in people does pose challenges on food, water and energy resources as a peak of 10.4 billion is forecast in the 2080s.

Officials from the Filipino Commission on Population and Development were on location to welcome Vinice into the world at 1.29am.

Dr Romeo Bituin, chief of medical staff at the hospital, reportedly said: “We just witnessed the world’s eight billionth baby in the Philippines. So we waited around two hours starting 11pm last night and the baby was delivered at around 1.29 am, normal spontaneous delivery.”

The baby girl was delivered just as the United Nations predicted that the population of the planet would reach eight billion people, on Tuesday, November 15.

The United Nations said in a statement: “This unprecedented growth is due to the gradual increase in human lifespan owing to improvements in public health, nutrition, personal hygiene and medicine. It is also the result of high and persistent levels of fertility in some countries.”

Despite it taking 11 years for the planet’s population to go from seven to eight billion people, the United Nations said that it would take until 2037 – 15 years – to reach nine billion people.