The world population is the total number of living humans on Earth. As of today, it is estimated to number 7.

138 billion by the United States Census Bureau (USCB).[1] The USCB estimates that the world population exceeded 7 billion on March 12, 2012.[2] According to a separate estimate by the United Nations Population Fund, it reached this milestone on October 31, 2011.[3][4][5] The median age was 30.4 years in 2012 and is expected to rise to 37.9 years by 2050.[6] The world population has continuously grown since the end of the Great Famine and the Black Death in 1350, when it was near 370 million.[7] Fastest growth global population increases above 1.8% per year briefly occurred during the 1950s, and longer during the 1960s and 1970s. The growth rate peaked at 2.2% in 1963 and then declined to below 1.1% by 2012.[8] Total annual births were highest in the late 1980s at about 138 million,[9] and are now expected to remain essentially constant at their 2011 level of 134 million, while deaths number 56 million per year, and are expected to increase to 80 million per year by 2040.[10] The UN projects steadily declining population growth in the near future, with the global population expected to become between 8.3 and 10.9 billion by 2050.[11][12] UN Population Division estimates for the year 2150 range between 3.2 and 24.8 billion;[13] mathematical modeling supports the lower estimate.[14] Some analysts have questioned the sustainability of further world population growth, highlighting the growing pressures on the environment, global food supplies, and energy resources.[15][16][17] World population (millions)[18] # 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Top ten most populous countries China 1,141 1,333 1,458 India 849 1,140 1,398 250 178 192 108 116 151 142 128 304 228 223 166 160 208 137 126 226 198 352 273 1990 2008 2025*

United States Indonesia Brazil 150

Pakistan Bangladesh Nigeria 94 Russia 148 Japan 124

World total

5,265 6,688 8,004

Top ten most populous (%) 1 Asia

60.0% 58.9% 57.5%

1,613 2,183 2,693

+ China 1,141 1,333 1,458 + OECD Pacific* 187 2 3 Africa 634 Europe* 148 202 984 564 142 133 210 1,365 603 137 136 462 444 199 28 473 392 289 499 539 146 550 514 272 659

+ Russia

+ ex-Soviet Union* 4 5 6

Latin America 355 North America* 359 Middle East 17 132 22

Australia

European Union 27 states US + Canada 278 338 285

Ex-Soviet Union 289

Geographical definitions as in IEA Key Stats 2010 p. 66 Notes: Europe = OECD Europe + Non-OECD Europe and excluding Russia and including Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania ex-Soviet Union (SU) = SU excluding Russia and Baltic states North America = US, Canada, Mexico OECD Pacific = Australia, Japan, Korea, New Zealand 2025 = with constant annual 2007/2008 growth until 2025 Contents [hide] 1 Population by region

1.1 Population by continent 2 History 2.1 Antiquity and Middle Ages 2.2 Modern era 2.3 Milestones by the billions 3 Global demographics 4 Largest populations by country 4.1 Most densely populated countries 5 Fluctuation 5.1 Projections 5.2 Population growth by region 6 Mathematical approximations 6.1 Years for world population to double 7 Overpopulation 7.1 Predictions of scarcity 7.2 Environmental impacts 7.3 Population control 7.4 Overpopulation as a myth 8 Number of humans who have ever lived 8.1 Estimation methodologies 9 See also 10 Notes 11 References 12 External links Population by region[edit]

estimates and History of the worldAntiquity and Middle Ages[edit]

(in billions) Year 1804

1 1927

2 1960

3 1974

4 1987

5 1999 123

6 2012 33

7 2027 14

8 2046 13

Years elapsed between milestones 19

12

13

16

It is estimated that the world population reached one billion for the first time in 1804. It was another 123 years before it reached two billion in 1927, but it took only 33 years to reach three billion in 1960.[68] Thereafter, the global population reached four billion in 1974, five billion in 1987, six billion in 1999 and, according to the United States Census Bureau, seven billion in March 2012.[1] The United Nations, however, estimated that the world population reached seven billion in October 2011.[3][4][5] 2.52.[13][70] There is no estimation for the exact day or month the world's population surpassed one or two billion. The days of three and four billion were not officially noted, but the International Database of the United States Census Bureau places them in July 1959 and April 1974. The United Nations did determine, and celebrate, the "Day of 5 Billion" on July 11, 1987, and the "Day of 6 Billion" on October 12, 1999. The "Day of 7 Billion" was declared by the Population Division of the United Nations to be October 31, 2011.[71] Global demographics[edit]

Main article: Demographics of the world

Chart showing geographic distribution of the world population in 2005. .[72][73] The Han Chinese are the world's largest single ethnic group, constituting over 19% of the global population in 2011.[79] The world's most-spoken first languages are Mandarin Chinese (spoken by 12.44% of the world's population), Spanish (4.85%), English (4.83%), Arabic (3.25%) and Hindustani (2.68%).[72] The world's largest religion is Christianity, whose adherents account for 33.35% of the global population; Islam is the second-largest religion, accounting for 22.43%, and Hinduism the third,

Population density (people per km2) map of the world in 1994. Red and pink areas denote regions of highest population density. 10 most densely populated countries (with population above 1 million) Rank Country/Region Population Area (km2) Density

(Pop. per km2) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Singapore Bahrain Bangladesh 5,399,200 1,234,571 149,772,364 710 750 7605 1646 1101

147,570

Taiwan 23,361,147 Mauritius South Korea Lebanon Netherlands Rwanda Haiti

36,190 645 2,040 617 99,538 505 10,452 461

1,257,900 50,219,669 4,822,000

16,848,208[91] 41,526 406 10,537,222 26,338 400

10,413,211

27,065 385

Countries ranking highly in terms of both total population (more than 15 million people) and population density (more than 250 people per square kilometer): CountryPopulation (Pop. per km2) Notes India 1,239,200,000 3,287,240 149,772,364 377 Growing country 1101 Growing country Area (km2) Density

Bangladesh

147,570 337

Japan 127,300,000 Philippines Vietnam

377,873

Declining in population[92] 329 268 Growing country Growing country

98,698,000 90,388,000

300,076 331,689