Day of 7 Billion

  World Population: 7,000,000,000+ 

According to estimates made by the United Nations, the world population reaches seven billion on October 31, 2011. Although there is no way of knowing exactly when the world population reaches seven billion, this prediction and numerous other population estimates made by the U.N. have great value in helping us plan for our future.

The U.N.'s prediction accompanied a detailed report on human populations released in May, 2011. The report, World Population Prospects: The 2010 Revision, contains demographic data and predictions for the nations of the world through the year 2100. Key conclusions are provided in the U.N.’s press release.

Brief accounts of the U.N. report may be found in any one of numerous articles. See, for example, this Reuters article.

National Geographic created a compelling slide show that illustates some of the key findings in the U.N. report.

The FAQ page for the U.N. report provides predictions for previous and future world population milestones (the two earliest predictions are from a previous report): 

• 1 billion in 1804
• 2 billion in 1927
• 3 billion in 1959
• 4 billion in 1974
• 5 billion in 1987
• 6 billion in 1998
• 7 billion in 2011
• 8 billion in 2025
• 9 billion in 2043
• 10 billion in 2083.

The Population Estimates and Projections Section of the U.N. report allows you to watch a particular country’s population size evolve over time. Data is also provided for the entire world and for certain subsets thereof (e.g., “less developed regions”). For example, under the “medium variant”,

• the population of the U.S. increases from the current 313 million to 478 million by the year 2100;
• the population of China increases for another 15 years or so and then decreases for the rest of the century—a consequence of its one-child policy;
• over the 21st century, 97% of the projected world population growth occurs in less developed regions.

The U.S. Census Bureau also makes predictions for the world population, but they differ somewhat from the U.N.’s recent predictions. The table at World POPClock Projection places the “Day of 7 Billion” in March of 2012. This is, however, consistent with a prediction made by the U.N. in its 2000 report.

Questions? Suggestions for improving this page? Please contact Dr. Chris Hill.