// There were too many people, with people to spare, people to waste. // 06.08.10
World population has been growing continuously since the end of the Black Death, around 1400. At the beginning of the 19th century it had reached roughly 1 billion people. Increases in life expectancy and resource availability during the industrial revolution led to rapid population growth on a worldwide level. By 1960, the world population had reached 3 billion and doubled to 6 billion over the next four decades. As of 2009, the estimated annual growth rate was 1.10%, down from a peak of 2.2% in 1963, and the world population stood at roughly 6.7 billion. Current projections show a steady decline in the population growth rate, with the population expected to reach between 8 and 10.5 billion between the year 2040 and 2050.
World population has been growing continuously since the end of the Black Death, around 1400. At the beginning of the 19th century it had reached roughly 1 billion people. Increases in life expectancy and resource availability during the industrial revolution led to rapid population growth on a worldwide level. By 1960, the world population had reached 3 billion and doubled to 6 billion over the next four decades. As of 2009, the estimated annual growth rate was 1.10%, down from a peak of 2.2% in 1963, and the world population stood at roughly 6.7 billion. Current projections show a steady decline in the population growth rate, with the population expected to reach between 8 and 10.5 billion between the year 2040 and 2050.
