world population

The world population has experienced continuous growth since the end of the Bubonic Plague around the years 1348-1350. The highest rates of growth—increases above 1.8% per year—were seen briefly during the 1950s, for a longer period during the 1960s and 1970s; the growth rate peaked at 2.2% in 1963, and declined to 1.1% by 2009. Annual births have reduced to 140 million since their peak at 173 million in the late 1990s, and are expected to remain constant, while deaths number 57 million per year and are expected to increase to 80 million per year by 2040. Current projections show a continued increase of population (but a steady decline in the population growth rate) with the population expected to reach between 7.5 and 10.5 billion in the year 2050.

World Population 2011: 6.9 billion
Asia accounts for over 60% of the world population with more than 4 billion people. China and India together have about 37 percent of the world’s population. Africa follows with 1 billion people, 15% of the world’s population. Europe’s 733 million people make up 11% of the world’s population. Latin America and the Caribbean region to 589 million (9%), Northern America is home to 352 million (5%) and Oceania to 35 million (less than 1%).

Rank Country / Territory Population % of World population
1 China
1,342,120,000 19.5%

2 India
1,193,590,000 17.3%

3 United States
311,999,000 4.52%

4 Indonesia
237,556,363 3.44%

5 Brazil
190,732,694 2.77%

6 Pakistan
171,739,000 2.49%

7 Nigeria
158,259,000 2.29%

8 Bangladesh
149,983,000 2.17%

9 Russia
141,927,297 2.06%

10 Japan
127,370,000 1.85%

Source: Published in The Express Tribune, October 12th, 2012.