Nearly 60,000 babies to take birth in India on New Year’s Day, highest in the world: UNICEF

UNICEF estimates that 140 million babies are likely to be born globally in 2021 with an average life expectancy of 84 years.

India is likely to see the highest number of births in the world on New Year's Day, with nearly 60,000 babies estimated to be born on the first day of 2021. The number of births, however, is 7,390 less than 2020.

According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) estimates, over 3,71,504 babies are likely to be born across the world on January 1, 2021. Of these, 52 percent of the births will take place in just 10 countries.

"Globally, over half of these births are estimated to take place in 10 countries: India (59,995), China (35,615), Nigeria (21,439), Pakistan (14,161), Indonesia (12,336), Ethiopia (12,006), the US (10,312), Egypt (9,455), Bangladesh (9,236) and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (8,640)," the UNICEF said in its report.

The global body even estimated that 140 million babies are likely to be born globally in 2021 with an average life expectancy of 84 years.

UNICEF will mark the 75th anniversary on January 1.

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UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore said the children born on January 1, 2021, enter a world far different than even a year ago, and a New Year brings a new opportunity to reimagine it.

"Today, as the world faces a global pandemic, economic slowdown, rising poverty, and deepening inequality, the need for UNICEF’s work is as great as ever," he added.

As per reports, the life expectancy of the babies born in 2021 in India will be 80.9 years. The government interventions such as establishing Special Newborn Care Units (SNCU) help survive additional 1,000 babies each day in India. Around 320 district level SNCUs have been set up by the government between 2014 and 2020.

Recently, citing the COVID-19 pandemic, UNICEF launched the 'Reimagine campaign' to prevent the COVID-19 pandemic from becoming a lasting crisis for children.

"Under its Reimagine campaign, Unicef appeals to governments, private sector entities, donors and all partners to join hands and lay the groundwork for building back better, to assure every child’s right to survive and thrive is protected and promoted at all times," Hindustan Times quoted UNICEF India Country Representative Dr Yasmin Ali Haque as saying.