8 billion is an exciting story about population growth and decline. NG launched the idea in mid-2022 when the UN announced the world would hit the 8 billion mark in November 2022. We strategized creating a daily ‘breaking news’ story for the November 2022 announcement and in parallel created a thoughtful rich story that published in spring 2023. We wanted to find a unique way into explaining population decline and increase, engage readers through podcast and graphics and surprise our audience with well researched projections of what’s to come in the next 50 years.
The impact of population booms and busts
Overheard podcast: Scene's from Nigeria's baby boom
Overheard podcast: What women in China want
Photographer: Yagazie Emezie and Justin Jin • Writer: Craig Welch, Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani, Brook Larmer and Jane Zhang • Text editor: John Hoefffel • Photo editor: Anne Farrar • Designer: Elaine Bradley • Graphics: Jason Treat