Key points
- A COP held in the Middle East, the coronation of a king, and a women's World Cup all lay ahead for this year.
- China's status as the world's most populous country is expected to change.
- There will also be elections in Ukraine.
After a tumultuous year of war, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the death of the Queen, and the controversial FIFA World Cup, 2022 is a hard act to follow.
But from elections in war-torn countries, to the coronation of the new King in the United Kingdom, one thing is for sure: 2023 won't be boring.
Here are a few of the major milestones and events that lay ahead for this year.
India to become the most populated country in 2023
India's population is expected to surpass China's in 2023, making it the most populated country in the world. India's population is currently 1.39 billion people, while China's is 1.41 billion.
There are around 86,000 babies born in India each day, while there are 49,000 in China, meaning India is expected to surpass China and hit 1.65 billion people by 2060.
China's birth rate in 2020 was 1.7 births per woman. This has been consistently low since the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) imposed the 'One Child Policy' in 1980, which it abolished in 2016.
India's birth rate in 2020 was 2.18 births per woman.
This has also been in decline since the 1960s, but has seen a less dramatic drop than China's.
While India's GDP per capita has sharply in the 21st century, around 69 per cent of households struggle with financial insecurity.
Coronation of King Charles III: 6 May
For the first time in the 21st century, a coronation will take place for a British king on 6 May. Charles III will be crowned alongside his wife Camilla as Queen Consort.
The event will take place at Westminster Abbey in London — seven months after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Charles' mother.
Queen Consort simply means the reigning king's wife — a role defined by marriage.
Camilla will be the first Queen Consort to be crowned in Westminster Abbey in nearly 100 years. The last was Queen Elizabeth, Queen Elizabeth II’s mother, during the coronation of King George VI in 1937.
The coronation will occur on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s son, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor's, fourth birthday.
Thailand to hold general elections: 7 May
After almost three years of nationwide protests, Thailand will hold its general elections in May.
Protests began in early 2020 with demonstrations against the government of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.
They later expanded to include demands for reform of the Thai monarchy.
The protests were initially triggered by the dissolution of the Future Forward Party (FFP) in late February 2020 which was critical of Prayut, and the changes to the Thai constitution in 2017.
Pheu Thai is currently favourite to win the 2023 elections.
FIFA Women's World Cup 2023: 20 July - 20 August
Australia and New Zealand will host the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup in July and August.
It will be the ninth edition of the tournament and the first FIFA Women's World Cup to have more than one host nation.
The opening match will be contested between New Zealand and Norway at Eden Park in Auckland on 20 July.
The Australian national team starting XI ahead of the international friendly game between Australia and Sweden at AAMI Park 12 November, 2022 in Melbourne, Australia. Credit: Sports Press Photo/Sipa USA
The United States are the defending champions, having won the previous two tournaments.
Betting agencies have Australia sitting as the seventh favourite to win.
India to host G20: 9-10 September
The 18th G20 Heads of State and Government Summit will take place on 9-10 September 2023 in New Delhi, India.
The summit will be a culmination of all the G20 processes and meetings held throughout the year among ministers, senior officials, and civil societies.
A G20 will be adopted at the conclusion of the New Delhi Summit, stating Leaders’ commitment towards the geopolitical priorities discussed and agreed upon during the working group meetings.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is invited to the event, as Russia forms part of the G20, however, he skipped the 2022 edition in Indonesia.
2023 Rugby World Cup: 8 September– 28 October
France will host the 10th Rugby World Cup in September and October at venues across the country.
The opening match will see hosts France face three-time winners New Zealand on Friday 8th September. The final will take place seven weeks later on Saturday 28th October.
The event will be held across nine host cities, with the final to be played in Sant-Denis, Paris, at the Stade de France.
Legislative elections in Ukraine: 29 October
Ukraine will hold elections for the Verkhovna Rada, the country's unicameral parliament, on 29 October.
The election will be without single-member constituencies and instead, deputies can only be elected on a party list in one nationwide constituency with a 5 per cent election threshold.
The most popular parties in the last election in 2019 were Servant of the People, a pro-European party that took 6.3 million votes, followed by For Life, a pro-Russia party that earned 1.9 million votes.
Ukraine's next presidential elections will be held in 2024.
UAE to host COP 28: 30 November – 12 December
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) will host the 28th edition of the United Nations' climate change conference between 30 November and 12 December in Dubai.
COP28 will coincide with the UAE national day, which is 2 December, with participation from more than 80,000 delegates, including 140 heads of state and government, and more than 5,000 media professionals.
The UAE is the 7th largest producer of oil in the world, making it a significant contributor to the world's greenhouse gas emissions — a key point of discussion on each COPs' agenda.
The biggest contributor to oil production is the United States.
Australia is the fourth-largest contributor to coal production, another fossil fuel that delegates at COP aim to phase countries away from.
