As the world population edged to 7 billion people in 2011 (up from 2.5 billion in 1950), it has had profound implications for development. 

In 1989, in its decision 89/46, the Governing Council of the United Nations Development Programme recommended that, in order to focus attention on the urgency and importance of population issues in the context of overall development plans and programmes and the need to find solutions for these issues, 11 July should be observed by the international community as World Population Day. The theme for 2015 World Population Day is Vulnerable Populations in Emergencies. This week we picked books on global population issues.