According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are 6,959,000,772 people in the world right now. That means we’re very close to reaching the 7 billion mark, and according to The Hindu, that person will most likely be born in China or India – two countries with more than a billion people.
The birth date of the 7 billionth inhabitant of Earth, according to the United Nations population division, has been set for October 31. Yes, this lucky baby will be born on Halloween. Let’s pray it’s not some sort of demon child. Also, the end of October is only 12 years since we crossed over the 6 billion person mark.
By the year 2050, the world’s population is estimated to be 9.3 billion. That means that between now and 2050, the global population will add the same amount of people that populated the entire planet in 1950. By the year 2100, the Earth’s population is estimated to be at 10.1 billion people.
India, which has a population of 1.2 billion, is set to take the lead as the world’s most populous country from China at 1.3 billion. And although the number of people in China and India is massive, the U.N. is attributing this explosion in world population to the rapid growth in Africa which is happening faster than anyone had thought. The continent’s population could triple in the next 90 years.
The birth rate is apparently not declining as fast as expected in some poor countries. As for the U.S.’s population, it’s supposed to rise from 311 million to 478 million by 2100 largely due to high immigration and higher birth rates among Hispanic immigrants. But one of the most amazing growths will happen in Nigeria, which is currently Africa’s most populous country at 162 million people. By the year 2100, Nigeria is set to have a population of 730 million people.
Of course, this brings up questions of: Will there be enough food and water for 10 billion people? How will politics change with the increase and decrease of certain countries and continents’ populations? And should we be doing anything to try to stall the rise in population, like fertility programs across the world to help against unwanted pregnancies?
These are all topics of ongoing debates. However, what we do know is whoever turns out to be the 7 billionth person born on Earth should at least get some kind of commemorative plaque.
Source: http://www.geek.com/articles/news/worlds-7-billionth-person-to-be-born-on-halloween-20110831/
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