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It took all of human history until 1830 for world population to reach one billion. The second billion was achieved in 100 years, the third billion in 30 years, the fourth billion in 15 years, and the fifth billion in only 12 years. In 2005, world population exceed 6.5 billion people, growing by nearly 80 million per year with virtually all of the growth taking place in the poorest countries in the world, where population already strains economies, environments and social services. - The Population Institute

Rapid population growth causes or perpetuates poverty, hunger, stress on the environmental, economic stagnation, resource depletion and disease – a perfect formula for global instability. Human needs are growing rapidly all over the globe. We all want more food, more cars, more fuel, and more industry…more of everything and more than ever before. As our numbers grow and our needs and demands are met, so does our impact on the environment...

Global Warning! Climate change is perhaps the most crucial environmental challenge of this century. Eleven of the world’s 12 highest annual global temperatures on record have occurred since 1995, leading many of the world’s top scientists and environmentalists to conclude that global warming has begun in earnest. -The Population Institute

We entered the 20th century with a population of 1.6 billion people.
We entered the 21st century with  6.1 billion people.
And in 2007, world population is 6.6 billion.

Population Growth 

The increase in the size of the human population in the last half-century is unprecedented. And nearly all of the growth is occurring in the less developed countries. Currently, 80 million people are being added every year in less developed countries, compared with about 1.6 million in more developed countries. While the less developed countries will keep growing, the more developed countries may grow slowly or not at all.

Population change is linked to economic development, education, the environment, the status of women, epidemics and other health threats, and access to family planning information and services. All of these factors interact with every facet of our lives, regardless of where we live. It is remarkable that, despite many new developments over the past 50 years, one fact looks very much the same: Populations are growing most rapidly where such growth can be afforded the least.

Mortality Rates

The phenomenal increase in population in the 20th century resulted from plummeting mortality rates, primarily in less developed countries. Advances in health and medicine that had taken many centuries to achieve in the developed countries spread quickly among developing countries. Even with the high death rates from HIV/AIDS, mortality has declined enough to fuel rapid population growth. Life expectancy at birth rose rapidly and infant mortality declined sharply, narrowing the gap between rich and poor countries. In just 35 years, Costa Rica nearly closed its life expectancy gap with the world’s wealthiest country—the United States.

The average life expectancy at birth in less developed countries rose from 41 years in 1950 to 66 years in 2007. The Middle East and North Africa region has experienced the largest increase in life expectancy since the late 1950s: from 43 years to 70 years. Since 1950, the greatest gains in life expectancy at birth occurred among women. In more developed countries, average life expectancy for women rose from 69 years in 1950 to 80 years in 2007, while the average for men rose from 64 years to 73 years.

Fertility Rates

A dramatic decline in fertility rates during the 20th century coincided with decreased child mortality, access to family planning, economic development,
increases in girls’ and women’s education, and urbanization. Other factors—including stiffer competition for jobs, housing shortages, and government
efforts to lower birth rates—also encouraged fertility decline.

Fertility rates have fallen in every major world region, but in some regions, the rate remains quite high. Worldwide, the average number of children
per woman fell from 5.0 around 1950 to 2.7 in 2007. Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest average at 5.5, falling from a level of 6.7 around 1950.
Couples were able to reduce family size by adopting methods of family planning. Worldwide, use of contraception rose from less than 10 percent of
married women of childbearing age in the 1960s to 62 percent in 2007. Again, regional variations provide stark contrasts. In Africa, 28 percent of
married women use contraception; in Latin America, the share is 71 percent; North America, 73 percent; Europe, 67 percent; and Asia, 66 percent.

Demographic Divide

Attention has focused recently on the “demographic divide,” the vast gulf in birth and death rates among countries. On one side are mostly poor
countries with relatively high birth rates and low life expectancies. On the other side are mostly wealthy countries with birth rates so low that population decline and rapid aging are likely.

This is not a simple divide that perpetuates the status quo among the “have” and “have-not” countries. Rather, it involves a set of demographic forces
that will affect the economic, social, and political circumstances in these countries, and consequently, their place on the world stage. Demographic
trends are just one of the factors determining their future, but they are a crucial factor.