When we talk about the world’s population, we often refer to figures: so many people live on the planet now, so many in different countries. But this topic is also interesting, and it is worth revealing in more detail. Here are some interesting facts about the world population change .
1. The world’s population has reached 7.9 billion people
On October 31, 2011, many earthlings were surprised and even shocked because, on this day, the world’s population reached seven billion. As of 2021, there are already more than 7.9 billion people, and 8 billion are expected in 2024. We will overcome the 9 billion mark by 2042. Such a big difference compared to the 20th century, when the increase from two to six billion took only 72 years, is associated with a drop in the birth rate worldwide. To get the latest stories, install our app here
2. We are growing by 83 million a year
In two years, the world is replenished with as many people. Interestingly, the increase is undulating. In 1989, it peaked at 88 million per year, then began to gradually decline to 73.9 million by 2003, after which it rose again to 75.2 by 2006. To date, the growth continues and amounts to about 83 million people per year.
3. In the 20th century, there was the largest increase in the world’s population in the history of humankind
In just 72 years of the 20th century, despite two bloody wars, the world’s population has increased by several billion. And if it took 127 years for the world’s population to grow to two billion (from 1800 to 1927), then the third billion had to wait for 33 years, and humanity crossed the four billion milestones in just 14 years. The population growth rate is projected to decrease in the future, and after nine billion, the time required to reach the next billion will increase. To get the latest stories, install our app here
4. By 2024, India will surpass China in the fight for the title of the most populous country in the world
We are used to the fact that China is a factory of people who produce new units at great speed. At the moment, 1,447,090,800 people live in China. But India is not far behind, in which, along with the growth of the standard of living and medical care, the population is rapidly increasing, which has already reached 1,402,754,293 people. By 2024, India may overtake China in terms of the number of people, and the inhabitants of these countries together will make up about 37% of the world’s population.
5. The birth rate has fallen all over the world
Since the 1960s, the fertility rate has fallen to an average of 2.5 births per woman. This is not true when they say that the birth rate has fallen only in the West. For example, in Europe, it is 1.6, and in Africa, it is 4.7. To get the latest stories, install our app here
According to UN forecasts made in 2019, population growth will almost stop by the end of the 21st century. For comparison, let’s take China. In the 60s, the coefficient was 6.2, and in 2015 it was already 1.6.
6. Nigeria is the fastest growing country in the world
In 2009, Nigeria had a population of 151 million people. But by 2018, this figure was 195.9 million. According to experts, by 2050, Nigeria will reach the third place after China and India with 323 million people, and by 2100 experts predict 886 million.
7. Nine countries will account for half of the population growth
According to experts, by 2050, India, Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Pakistan, Ethiopia, the United Republic of Tanzania, the United States, Uganda and Indonesia will make the greatest contribution to population growth. Most of the increase will be in Africa, where the population is expected to double by 2050. To get the latest stories, install our app here
8. The population of Europe will decrease
When the birth rate falls below 2.1 births per woman, it will be considered a value below the reproduction level. The number of people being born will not be enough to replace the deceased. In many European countries, this has already become a reality. For example, in Russia, this coefficient is 1.7, in the Czech Republic – 1.48, and in Spain – 1.33.
9. Migration is declining
Many countries, for example, the USA, are still replenishing their population mainly due to the migration flow. However, a smooth drop in global migration is being recorded. The peak of migration in the 21st century occurred in 2005-2010. 4.5 million people a year left some countries for others at that time. By 2015, this figure was already 3.2 million people and continues to fall. To get the latest stories, install our app here
The main migration falls on the countries of Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean, where more people leave than enter.
10. The world is getting old
With the growth of the standard of living and medicine, more and more people live very old age. And if in 1950 there were much more young people in Europe than old ones, in 2020 this difference is not so great, and by 2050 experts predict the alignment of these figures. In general, in the 50s, only 8% of the world’s population was over 60 years old. In 2000, this figure was already 10%, in 2010 – 10.5%, and by 2050 the UN predicts an increase to 21%.
In some of the most aging countries, this figure has already been overcome. For example, as the fastest-aging country globally, Japan had 28.7% of the population over 65 as of June 1, 2020.
11. People are living longer
As we said above, life expectancy is increasing. In the period from 1901 to 1950, the average life expectancy in Europe was 46-65 years. In 2000, it was already 76 years old, and by 2020 it had reached even greater values. For example, in Switzerland, the average life expectancy is 82.7 years. To get the latest stories, install our app here
But in the whole world, this value remains quite modest – 67.2 years. Experts predict that by 2050 it will increase to about 77 years, and by 2100 – to 83 years.
12. Our planet cannot withstand a large number of people
Scientists have yet to definitively determine the number of people that our planet can “contain,” but according to current data, this figure is approximately eleven billion people.
Other scientists say that the Earth can withstand a much larger number of people. The only question is that as the population grows, the quality of life will deteriorate significantly. You don’t need to be a math genius to understand: the more people, the more resources are consumed, more CO2 emissions, more deforestation, worse ecology, and so on.
