World Population Surpasses 7 Billion

WASHINGTON, Oct. 27, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --  World population has surpassed 7 billion, and we are in the midst of history's most rapid population expansion. The sixth billion and the seventh billion were added in record time—taking only 12 years to reach each milestone.

"Since 1980, most population growth has been concentrated in the world's poorest countries, making it more difficult to lift large numbers of people out of poverty," says Wendy Baldwin, president and CEO of the Population Reference Bureau (PRB). Sub-Saharan Africa's population has more than doubled over the last 30 years, rising from 390 million in 1980 to 883 million today.

Europe's population grew more slowly, from 693 million in 1980 to 740 million in 2011.

The annual population growth rate for developing countries remains four times higher than for developed countries, 1.6 percent for developing countries and 0.4 percent for developed countries. In 1980, the annual world population growth rate was 1.8 percent, compared to 1.2 percent today.

Developing Countries Are Driving Future Trends

"Total fertility rates—the average lifetime births per woman, or TFR—vary widely across the globe," notes Carl Haub, PRB visiting scholar and senior demographer. Worldwide, the TFR stood at 3.7 in 1980 and has declined to 2.5 today.

Since virtually all significant population growth will be in developing countries, and growth in the developed countries has effectively stalled, the fundamental assumption that projections make is critical to understanding them: That birth rates in developing countries will decline smoothly and without interruption until reaching a TFR of two children or fewer per woman, as TFRs did over the centuries in the developed countries.

This assumption is not unreasonable, nor is it without precedent. The TFR has declined in many developing countries and, in some, to below two children per woman, as in Cuba and Chile. In others, the decline has "stalled" at a medium level of three to four children, as in Jordan and Senegal. In still others, it has not declined much, if at all, from high levels of five, six, or more children, as in Afghanistan and Nigeria.  

Of the three United Nations projections for population growth (low, medium, and high), the medium projection suggests that 8 billion will be reached in 2025, 14 years from now, but only if the smooth, uninterrupted fertility decline that this projection assumes continues in all developing countries. Clearly, 8 billion arriving in 12 years, as did billions 6 and 7, is well within the realm of possibility.

PRB has a variety of online resources for more information, at www.prb.org:

• 3-minute Video: "7 Billion and Counting." This video explains global population trends and varying levels of population growth and decline among countries.
• Interactive World Map of Demographic Data. Users can browse demographic indicators organized in six tabs, ranging from life expectancy, HIV/AIDS, family planning, poverty, and more. This interactive map can be embedded on a blog or website.
• PRB's 2011 World Population Data Sheet, and the Population Bulletin "The World at 7 Billion," offer detailed information on 18 population, health, and environment indicators for more than 200 countries.
• DataFinder: PRB's hub for U.S. and international data. Enables users to easily create custom reports and data sets to print, download, and share.

The Population Reference Bureau informs people around the world about population, health, and the environment, and empowers them to use that information to improve the well-being of current and future generations.

Contact: Ellen Carnevale, 202-939-5407; [email protected]

SOURCE Population Reference Bureau