World Population Growth, 1300–2150 Population in billions
10
2 4 6 8
People in (richer) developed countries People in (poorer) developing regions
3 1 2
2017: 7.5 billion 2000: 6 billion
1300
1350
1400
1450
1500
1550
1600
1650
1700
1750 1800 1850 1900 1950 2000 2050 2100 2150 Source: United Nations with estimates from the Population Reference Bureau 1 2 3
Before 1750, the world’s population was very slow to grow. This was a time of fluctuation, as population went up and down due to wars, famines and plagues, such as the Black Death. From 1750 onwards, improved medical care and a better supply of food allowed the population to grow rapidly in Europe. Over the last 100 years, population has grown rapidly. This is especially the case in developing countries. The population explosion is the result of better healthcare and food supplies generally throughout the world.
Being numerate:
1. Based on current estimates, roughly what will the population be by 2050?
2. Calculate the change in population from 2000 to 2017.
3. True or false:
(i) Our planet’s populations fluctuated in the period between 1300 and 1750.
(ii) The populations of rich countries are growing much faster than those of poor countries.
(iii) The world’s population grew more in the last 100 years than in any period before that.
18.2 Measuring
Population Change The study of population is known as demography. We calculate world population change by measuring the birth rate (the number of live births per thousand of the population in one year) against the death rate (the number of deaths per thousand of the population in one year).
