![]() ![]() Increasing fishing and hunting, which reduces species populations of the exploited species.This, in turn, can decrease species populations, geographic ranges, biodiversity, and alter interactions among organisms. Additionally, as populations increase, more land is used for agricultural activities to grow crops and support livestock. Forests and other habitats are disturbed or destroyed to construct urban areas including the construction of homes, businesses, and roads to accommodate growing populations. Increasing ecological impacts on environments.Freshwater is extracted from lakes, rivers, the ground, and man-made reservoirs. Increase in freshwater use for drinking, agriculture, recreation, and industrial processes.Increasing the burning of fossil fuels for energy to generate electricity, and to power transportation (for example, cars and planes) and industrial processes.The process of removing resources, in turn, often releases pollutants and waste that reduce air and water quality, and harm the health of humans and other species. These resources include fossil fuels (oil, gas, and coal), minerals, trees, water, and wildlife, especially in the oceans. Increasing the extraction of resources from the environment.Human population growth impacts the Earth system in a variety of ways, including: It was updated in July 2022 after the United Nations Population Division released its World Population Prospects 2022 data and publications.World human population growth from 10,000 BC to 2019 AD. This post was originally written in June 2021. Without increased investment in voluntary international family planning programs and other initiatives that correlate with lower fertility (child survival, girls’ education, women’s empowerment, formal sector employment, etc.), we could be looking at a situation where the next couple milestones are crossed earlier than currently projected. ![]() The United Nations Population Division projects that the world will reach 9 billion people in 2037 and 10 billion in 2058. ![]() When Will the Population Reach 9 Billion? The more people who need food, water, shelter, health care, education, and employment, the more our agricultural systems, human institutions, and public infrastructure will need to grow and the more the environment and other species feel the strain. Consumption levels vary by individual and by world region, but everyone has infrastructure needs and contributes to environmental degradation to some degree. The steep ascent over the past two centuries has created growing pains for families, communities, countries, and the planet. The growth of the human population over time can be depicted by what is known as the population j-curve, which shows how sharply our population has risen in the last 200+ years. In fact, 96% of global population growth since the 7 billion milestone has occurred in less developed countries. Most of the growth around the world occurs in less developed countries-places already struggling to provide for their citizens, especially in the midst of the climate crisis (which has been disproportionately caused by people in high-income countries). The UN projects that it will take 15 years to reach the 9 billion mark and 21 more years to reach 10 billion. The last several billion milestones (4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 billion) were reached in 14, 13, 11, 12, and 12 years, respectively. It took 123 years to reach 2 billion, and only 33 years to reach 3 billion. When Did the World Population Reach Other Milestones? With more people surviving to adulthood and then having kids of their own, the human population started growing exponentially. The drop in mortality while fertility remained unchanged caused the beginning of what is now known as the J-curve (see below). Modern medicine and sanitation played heavily in reducing mortality rates-especially among infants and children-but there wasn’t yet a reliable way to reduce fertility (the first modern contraceptive, the birth control pill, wasn’t introduced until 1960). In fact, it took all of human history, until around 1804, to reach 1 billion people. Until the Industrial Revolution began, birth rates and death rates were both very high, which kept the global human population relatively stable. When Did the World Population Reach 1 Billion? After passing the 7 billion milestone in 2010, it has only taken 12 years to add the latest billion. We will become a world of 8 billion in 2022. ![]()
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