What is the population in the world? How many people live on earth now? How to determine average population density

Humanity gravitates towards precise numbers and loves statistics, because sometimes a quantitative change in a phenomenon can indicate important facts. Thus, an increase in average life expectancy indicates an improvement in the level of medical care, access to quality food and clean water, and an increase in the level of living comfort. Dynamic changes in the Earth's population can also tell a lot. How many people live on the planet, what are the population growth trends and what can they lead to?

World population 2018

The number of people on our planet is growing rapidly: on average, the annual global population growth is approximately 75-85 million people, which is equal to the number of inhabitants of a large state. If in 1800 the global population of the Earth numbered about a billion, then by 2012 this figure had reached an impressive 7 billion people.

It is noteworthy that the fastest rates of population growth are observed in countries with fairly low living standards, and not in rich countries with strong economies. This is often due to the insufficient level of education of citizens, the lack of sex education programs and limited access to quality contraception.

In developed countries, both women and men more often give preference to building a career, have children at an older age, and are usually limited to one or two heirs. In economically weak states, completely different priorities dominate among the population; a combination of different factors contributes to higher rates of population growth.

As of 2018, the number of people on the planet exceeded 7 billion 635 million people, as reported by specialists from the German Earth Population Foundation (DSW). Compared to 2017, this figure has already increased by 83 million citizens. The next milestone, 8 billion people, will be reached around 2024. The difference between the number of city residents and residents of rural areas has also become almost equal: if previously the majority of the population lived outside the city, now there is a growing trend in the number of residents of large settlements.

How is the world's population growing?

A number of scientists are of the opinion that the number of inhabitants on the planet is growing according to a hyperbolic law, the essence of which is based on the close and constant interaction of the entire world population. So far, predictions based on this theory are coming true. In 1964, biologist Julian Huxley suggested that by the year 2000 the world population would be 6 billion. His calculations turned out to be accurate and became reality in October 1999.

Why is the constant growth of the Earth's inhabitants dangerous? The inevitable depletion of the planet's resources, rising unemployment against the backdrop of technological development, increasing social inequality and many other negative phenomena can become the reality of humanity and may well serve as the cause of a crisis and catastrophe that will lead to a sharp decrease in the number of people to literally 2-3 billion.

However, gradually the rate of population growth will slow down, giving way to natural depopulation. Already, the number of elderly people exceeds the category of children under 5 years old.

According to UN experts, by 2100 the planet's population will be 11 billion people, and this figure will remain stable.

Earth population density

Population density varies in different places on Earth. Small countries with a high level of development confidently outperform even such “whales” as Russia or China in terms of density. Thus, the states with the largest number of people per square kilometer are Monaco and Singapore, where the number of inhabitants is more than 18.6 and 8.3 thousand people. per sq. km respectively. At the bottom of the list with the lowest population density are Mongolia, Namibia, Australia, Suriname, Iceland and even Canada. Here is the number of residents per square meter. km of territory does not even reach four people. This situation is connected not only with the area of ​​the states themselves, but also with the fact that most of them are unsuitable for life.

Uneven population density on Earth

From a planetary perspective, global population density can be calculated in several ways. If we take into account the area of ​​​​all continents and oceans, it turns out that every square kilometer of the Earth is inhabited by approximately 15 people. About 51 people per km inhabit the entire land area of ​​the planet, excluding water expanses.

The most populated countries remain China, India and the USA.

Russia is also one of the ten most populated countries. The first largest country in the world is inhabited by 144.5 million people, whose population density is 8.56 citizens per square meter. km.

Whatever the forecasts of scientists, it is important for people to remain confident in the future and not lose moral values. After all, it is not technology that makes us human, but humanism and caring attitude towards all living things and our native planet. Such an approach will help us face any difficulties with dignity, even if the Earth's population reaches a critical point.

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Does the Earth have enough resources to support its rapidly growing human population? Now it is more than 7 billion. What is the maximum number of inhabitants, beyond which the sustainable development of our planet will no longer be possible? The correspondent set out to find out what researchers think about this.

Overpopulation. Modern politicians wince at this word; It is often referred to as the "elephant in the room" in discussions about the future of planet Earth.

The growing population is often spoken of as the greatest threat to the existence of the Earth. But is it correct to consider this problem in isolation from other modern global challenges? And is there really such an alarming number of people living on our planet now?

• What ails giant cities
• Seva Novgorodtsev about the overpopulation of the Earth
• Obesity is more dangerous than overpopulation

It is clear that the Earth is not increasing in size. Its space is limited, and the resources necessary to support life are finite. There may simply not be enough food, water and energy for everyone.

It turns out that demographic growth poses a real threat to the well-being of our planet? Not at all necessary.

"The problem is not the number of people on the planet, but the number of consumers and the scale and pattern of consumption," says David Satterthwaite, senior fellow at the International Institute for Environment and Development in London.

In support of his thesis, he cites the consonant statement of the Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi, who believed that “there are enough [resources] in the world to satisfy the needs of every person, but not everyone’s greed.”

The global effect of increasing the urban population by several billion may be much smaller than we think

Until recently, the number of representatives of the modern human species (Homo sapiens) living on Earth was relatively small. Just 10 thousand years ago, no more than several million people lived on our planet.

It wasn't until the early 1800s that the human population reached a billion. And two billion - only in the 20s of the twentieth century.

Currently, the world's population is over 7.3 billion people. According to UN forecasts, by 2050 it could reach 9.7 billion, and by 2100 it is expected to exceed 11 billion.

The population has only begun to grow rapidly in the last few decades, so we do not yet have historical examples on which to make predictions about the possible consequences of this growth in the future.

In other words, if it is true that by the end of the century there will be more than 11 billion people living on our planet, our current level of knowledge does not allow us to say whether sustainable development is possible with such a population - simply because there are no precedents in history.

However, we can get a better picture of the future if we analyze where the largest population growth is expected in the coming years.

The problem is not the number of people living on Earth, but the number of consumers and the scale and nature of their consumption of non-renewable resources

David Satterthwaite says that most of the demographic growth in the next two decades will occur in the megacities of those countries where the level of income of the population is currently assessed as low or average.

At first glance, an increase in the number of inhabitants of such cities, even by several billion, should not have serious consequences on a global scale. This is due to historically low levels of consumption among urban residents in low- and middle-income countries.

Emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases are a good indicator of how high consumption may be in a given city. “What we know about cities in low-income countries is that they emit less than a tonne of carbon dioxide and carbon dioxide equivalents per person per year,” says David Satterthwaite. “In high-income countries, the levels fluctuate. ranging from 6 to 30 tons."

Residents of more economically prosperous countries pollute the environment to a much greater extent than people living in poor countries.

However, there are exceptions. Copenhagen is the capital of Denmark, a high-income country, while Porto Allegre is in upper-middle-income Brazil. Both cities have a high standard of living, but emissions (per capita) are relatively low in volume.

According to the scientist, if we look at the lifestyle of one individual person, the difference between rich and poor categories of the population turns out to be even more significant.

There are many low-income urban residents whose consumption levels are so low that they have little effect on greenhouse gas emissions.

Once the Earth's population reaches 11 billion, the additional burden on its resources may be relatively small.

However, the world is changing. And it's possible that carbon dioxide emissions will soon begin to rise in low-income metropolitan areas.

There is also concern about the desire of people in poor countries to live and consume at a level that is now considered normal for high-income countries (many would say that this would be in some way a restoration of social justice).

But in this case, the growth of the urban population will bring with it a more serious burden on the environment.

Will Steffen, emeritus professor at ASU's Fenner School of Environment and Society, says this is in line with a general trend over the last century.

According to him, the problem is not population growth, but the growth - even more rapid - of global consumption (which, of course, is unevenly distributed around the world).

If so, then humanity may find itself in an even more difficult situation.

People living in high-income countries must do their part to keep the Earth sustainable as populations grow.

Only if wealthier communities are willing to reduce their consumption levels and allow their governments to support unpopular policies will the world as a whole be able to reduce the negative human impact on the global climate and more effectively address challenges such as resource conservation and waste recycling.

In a 2015 study, the Journal of Industrial Ecology tried to look at environmental issues from a household perspective, with consumption as the focus.

If we adopt smarter consumer habits, the environment can improve dramatically

The study found that private consumers account for more than 60% of greenhouse gas emissions, and their share in the use of land, water and other raw materials is up to 80%.

Moreover, scientists have concluded that environmental pressures differ from region to region and that, on a per-household basis, they are highest in economically prosperous countries.

Diana Ivanova from Trondheim University of Science and Technology, Norway, who developed the concept for the study, explains that it changed the traditional view of who should be held responsible for industrial emissions associated with the production of consumer goods.

“We all want to shift the blame to someone else, to the government or to businesses,” she says.

In the West, for example, consumers often argue that China and other countries that produce consumer goods in industrial quantities should also be held accountable for the emissions associated with their production.

But Diana and her colleagues believe that an equal share of responsibility lies with consumers themselves: “If we adopt smarter consumer habits, the environment can significantly improve.” According to this logic, radical changes are needed in the basic values ​​of developed countries: the emphasis must move from material wealth to a model where what is most important is personal and social well-being.

But even if favorable changes occur in mass consumer behavior, it is unlikely that our planet will be able to support a population of 11 billion people for long.

So Will Steffen proposes stabilizing the population somewhere around nine billion, and then starting to gradually reduce it by reducing the birth rate.

Stabilizing the Earth's population involves both reducing resource consumption and expanding women's rights

In fact, there are signs that some stabilization is already taking place, even if statistically the population continues to grow.

Population growth has been slowing since the 1960s, and fertility studies conducted by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs show that the global fertility rate per woman has fallen from 4.7 children in 1970-75. years to 2.6 in 2005-10.

However, for any truly significant changes to occur in this area, it will take centuries, says Corey Bradshaw of the University of Adelaide in Australia.

The trend towards increasing birth rates is so deeply rooted that even a major catastrophe will not be able to radically change the situation, the scientist believes.

Based on the results of a study conducted in 2014, Corey concluded that even if the world's population were reduced by two billion tomorrow due to increased mortality, or if the governments of all countries, following the example of China, adopted unpopular laws limiting the number of children, by 2100 The number of people on our planet would, at best, remain at its current level.

Therefore, it is necessary to look for alternative ways to reduce the birth rate, and to look for them without delay.

If some or all of us increase our consumption, the upper limit on the sustainable (sustainable) population of the world will fall

One relatively simple way is to raise the status of women, especially in terms of their educational and employment opportunities, says Will Steffen.

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) estimates that 350 million women in the poorest countries did not intend to have their last child, but had no way to prevent unwanted pregnancies.

If the basic needs of these women in terms of personal development were met, the problem of overpopulation of the Earth due to excessively high birth rates would not be so acute.

Following this logic, stabilizing the population of our planet involves both reducing resource consumption and expanding women's rights.

But if a population of 11 billion is unsustainable, how many people – theoretically – can our Earth support?

Corey Bradshaw believes it is almost impossible to put a specific number on the table because it will depend on technology in areas such as agriculture, energy and transport, as well as how many people we are willing to condemn to a life of deprivation and restrictions, including and in food.

It is a fairly common belief that humanity has already exceeded the acceptable limit, given the wasteful lifestyle that many of its representatives lead and which they are unlikely to want to give up.

Environmental trends such as global warming, reduction in biodiversity and pollution of the world's oceans are cited as arguments in favor of this point of view.

Social statistics also come to the rescue, according to which currently one billion people in the world are actually starving, and another billion suffer from chronic malnutrition.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, the population problem was associated equally with female fertility and soil fertility

The most common option is 8 billion, i.e. slightly more than the current level. The lowest figure is 2 billion. The highest is 1024 billion.

And since assumptions regarding the permissible demographic maximum depend on a number of assumptions, it is difficult to say which of the given calculations is closest to reality.

But ultimately the determining factor will be how society organizes its consumption.

If some of us - or all of us - increase our consumption, the upper limit on the sustainable (sustainable) population size of the Earth will fall.

If we find opportunities to consume less, ideally without giving up the benefits of civilization, then our planet will be able to support more people.

The acceptable population limit will also depend on the development of technology, an area in which it is difficult to predict anything.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, the problem of population was associated equally with both female fertility and the fertility of agricultural land.

In his book The Shadow of the Future World, published in 1928, George Knibbs suggested that if the world's population reached 7.8 billion, humanity would be required to be much more efficient in cultivating and using land.

And three years later, Carl Bosch received the Nobel Prize for his contribution to the development of chemical fertilizers, the production of which became, presumably, the most important factor in the demographic boom that occurred in the twentieth century.

In the distant future, scientific and technological progress may significantly raise the upper limit of the permissible population of the Earth.

Since people first visited space, humanity is no longer content with observing the stars from Earth, but is seriously talking about the possibility of moving to other planets.

Many prominent scientific thinkers, including physicist Stephen Hawking, have even stated that the colonization of other worlds will be critical to the survival of humans and other species present on Earth.

Although NASA's exoplanet program, launched in 2009, has discovered a large number of Earth-like planets, they are all too distant from us and poorly studied. (As part of this program, the American space agency created the Kepler satellite, equipped with an ultra-sensitive photometer, to search for Earth-like planets outside the solar system, the so-called exoplanets.)

So relocating people to another planet is not a solution yet. For the foreseeable future, the Earth will be our only home, and we must learn to live in it environmentally.

This implies, of course, an overall reduction in consumption, in particular a shift to a low-CO2 lifestyle, as well as an improvement in the status of women around the world.

Only by taking some steps in this direction will we be able to roughly calculate how many people planet Earth can support.

• You can read it in English on the website.

Based on data set out in UN projections of world population

Around 8000 BC, the world population was approximately 5 million people. Over the 8000 year period before 1 AD. it grew to 200 million people (some estimates say 300 million or even 600 million), with a growth rate of 0.05% per year. A huge change in population occurred with the advent of the Industrial Revolution:

• In 1800, the world population reached one billion.
• The second billion in population was reached in just 130 years in 1930.
• The third billion was reached in less than 30 years in 1959.
• Over the next 15 years, the fourth billion was reached in 1974.
• In just 13 years, in 1987 - the fifth billion.

During the 20th century alone, the world's population grew from 1.65 to 6 billion.

In 1970 the population was half what it is now. Due to declining population growth rates, it will take more than 200 years for the population to double from today's levels.

Table with population data by year and population growth dynamics in the world by year until 2017

The world population is currently (2017) growing at a rate of about 1.11% per year (up from 1.13% in 2016).

Currently, the average annual population growth is estimated at approximately 80 million people. The annual growth rate peaked in the late 1960s, when it was 2% or higher. The population growth rate peaked at 2.19 percent per year in 1963.

Annual growth rates are currently declining and are projected to continue declining in the coming years. Population growth is projected to be less than 1% per year by 2020 and less than 0.5% per year by 2050. This means that the world population will continue to grow in the 21st century, but at a slower rate compared to the recent past.

The world population doubled (100% increase) in the 40 years from 1959 (3 billion) to 1999 (6 billion). The world's population is currently projected to increase by another 50% in 39 years, to 9 billion by 2038.

Forecast of the world population (all countries of the world) and demographic data for the period until 2050:

The main stages of world population growth

10 billion (2056)

The United Nations projects a world population of 10 billion by 2056.

8 billion (2023)

The world population is expected to reach 8 billion in 2023 according to the United Nations (and in 2026 according to the US Census Bureau).

7.5 billion (2017)

The current world population is 7.5 billion as of January 2017, according to United Nations estimates.

7 billion (2011)

According to the United Nations, the world's population reached 7 billion on October 31, 2011. The US Census Bureau made a lower estimate - 7 billion was reached on March 12, 2012.

6 billion (1999)

According to the United Nations, on October 12, 1999, the world population was 6 billion. According to the US Census Bureau, this value was reached on July 22, 1999, at approximately 3:49 a.m. GMT.

Hello readers! We now live in a world where the population is only growing, but just imagine for a second that such a number of people was not always there. I want to tell you about this growth.

The dynamics of the world population are constantly growing; Only in certain, comparatively short, historical periods, due to epidemics, natural disasters, and war did it temporarily decrease (for example, about 15 million people died from the plague epidemic in the 14th century; from famine in the 19th century - 25 million people in India and almost as many in China; about 20 million people died from the Spanish flu after the First World War (1914 - 1918); 60 million people died in two world wars, and the indirect losses of humanity were even more significant. increase in mortality and decrease in birth rate).

Over the millennia, the population increased extremely slowly, this can be explained by the poor development of production and the very large dependence of man on Mother Nature in the early stages of history.

The natural environment limited the increase in the number of primitive people, whose basis of life was hunting, fishing and gathering. Until the end of the Paleolithic, according to rough estimates, people mastered less than 1/3 of the modern ecumene (approximately 40 million km 2), and the average hardly exceeded 8 - 10 people per 100 km 2.

Many researchers agree that by the end of the Paleolithic era (approximately 15 thousand years BC), the population reached approximately 3 million people, and by the end of the Neolithic era (2 thousand years BC), the population was approximately 50 million people. There were 230 million people on Earth already at the beginning of our era, until the end of the 1st millennium AD. e.- 275 million people, and before 1500 it increased to 425 million.

Since the 17th century. The rate of world population growth has apparently increased. The rapid rise of agriculture, the increase in industry, and advances in medicine in many Western European countries (XVI-XVIII centuries) affected the population.

Population growth accelerated very quickly from the second half of the 18th century. At this time, the first (of statistically recorded) and extremely strong jump in population growth occurred in individual countries of Western Europe. From 1500 to 1900 The world population has almost quadrupled.

For the second half of the 19th century. Characterized by a particularly rapid acceleration of population growth rates, this is explained by a decrease in mortality, especially among children.

Throughout history, the dynamics of the world population are constantly increasing, and this is evidenced by such data. The population has increased 25 times in the last millennium alone; the first doubling of the population took almost 600 years, the second almost 250 years, the third less than 100 years, and the last just over 40 years.

The population reached 1 billion people around 1820, 2 billion reached 107 years later (in 1927), 3 billion reached 53 years ago (in 1959), 4 billion reached 15 years ago. years (in 1974), 5 billion - reached 13 years later (in 1987).

At the end of 2011, the 7 billionth inhabitant of the planet was born. At the moment, more than 7 billion people live on Earth.

Due to uneven population growth, the share of individual regions in the total world population in the 19th – 20th centuries. has changed a lot. The rate of population growth has accelerated sharply since the middle of the 20th century. The population increased by 116.8% between 1959 and 1992...

Average annual growth in 1950 – 1960 became 53.3 million people, in 1960 - 1970. – 66.7 million, in 1970 – 1980 – 70.3 million, in 1980 – 1990 – 86.4 million, in 1991 – 1992 – 92.2 million. This acceleration in the rate of population increase is different from all previous ones.

During this period, the birth rate changed very significantly. Through natural growth, the population of many countries and even regions (Africa) from 1950 to 1992. more than tripled.

Developing countries.

And in developing countries, life expectancy has increased, but remains lower than in countries with developed economies: in - 53 years, in - 61 years, in Latin America - 67 years.

In developing countries, where about 77% of the world population is concentrated, a decrease in mortality by the early 1990s. was mainly caused by advances in health care rather than by social and economic changes.

The birth rate remains high, especially in rural areas. For example, mortality in Kenya between 1965 and 1969 decreased by half, and in the early 1980s. population growth averaged 3.8% per year. Accordingly, Kenya's population has doubled in less than 20 years.

In developing countries, the proportion of the population under 15 years of age is about 37% and only 4% is over 65 years of age. For comparison, in developed countries, the population under 15 years of age is 22%, and over 65 – 11%.

As a result, developing countries are home to large numbers of children whose contribution to the economy is minimal, but the resources required for their education and health care are significant.

And developed countries must remember the constantly increasing number of pensioners.

Nowadays, there are more than 2 thousand peoples on Earth. The geographical distribution of the population is uneven: according to experts, 70% of humanity lives on 7% of the land mass.

Forecasts.

In developed countries with low population growth, most couples have no more than two children. The population in some countries is declining. For example, in Germany during the 1980s. the population decreased by 0.1% per year.

The use of contraception is encouraged by many developing countries. In the 14 largest developing countries, including India and China, the reproduction rate, measured by the number of children per woman, was . fell by almost two thirds.

In the 1980s in China, growth was reduced to 1.3%, but the target was not achieved. Most Chinese couples want a son to support them in old age.

Over the next few decades, the general trend remains a rapid increase in the world population, despite falling fertility rates. According to UN Population Fund forecasts, the number of people living on Earth was expected to exceed 6.2 billion by 2000, and by 2025 – 8.5 billion.

The pace is then expected to slow, with the global population expected to reach 11.6 billion by 2120. If current efforts to reduce the birth rate prove ineffective, the figure could reach 14 billion.

Obviously, 95% of the growth will occur in poor countries in Asia, Latin America and Africa, which are not able to feed such a number of people. In order to stabilize fertility, the replacement level, which was 4 births per woman in developing countries in 1990, must fall to 2.

Promoting the use of contraceptives is not enough for this. It is necessary to implement economic and social reforms that improve people's living standards.

Thus, we found out that the population is always growing, and, moreover, the further, the faster... I mean that our planet is filled with new people faster than in the past (especially at its initial stage of development). And this is happening despite the fact that population growth has almost halved...

And of course, in this issue, as in many others, there are many opinions, reasoning, many forecasts, including overpopulation; but if the world's population slows down its growth further, I think at the expense of developing countries, because growth has already decreased at the expense of developed countries, then this will only be beneficial for everyone...

Planet Earth is home to many living beings, the main one of which is man.

How many people inhabit the planet

The world population today is almost seven and a half billion people. The peak value of its growth was noted in 1963. Currently, the governments of some countries are pursuing a restrictive demographic policy, while others are trying to stimulate population growth within their borders. However, the overall population of the Earth is aging. Young people do not strive to reproduce. The population of planet Earth today has an unnatural bias towards the elderly. This feature will complicate the financial support of pensioners.

According to scientists, by the end of the twenty-first century the world population will reach the eleventh billion.

Where do the most people live?

In 2009, an alarm bell rang. The world's population living in cities has become equal in size to the number of people living in villages and rural areas. The reasons for this movement of labor are simple. The world's population strives for convenience and wealth. Salaries in cities are higher, and life is simpler. This will all change as the world's urban populations become more food insecure. Many will be forced to move again to the provinces, closer to the land.

The world population table is as follows: Fifteen countries are home to nearly five billion people. In total, there are more than two hundred states on our planet.

Most populous countries

The world population can be presented in the form of a table. The most populous countries will be indicated.

Most populous cities

The world population map today already has three cities whose population exceeded twenty million people. Shanghai is one of the largest cities in China, which stands on the Yangtze River. Karachi is a port city in Pakistan. The Chinese capital, Beijing, closes the top three.

In terms of population density, the palm is held by the main city of the Philippines - Manila. The world population map reports that in some areas this figure reaches seventy thousand people per square kilometer! The infrastructure does not cope well with such an influx of residents. For example: in Moscow this figure does not exceed five thousand people per square kilometer.

Also on the list of cities with a very high population density are Indian Mumbai (this locality was previously called Bombay), the capital of France - Paris, the Chinese autonomy of Macau, the dwarf state of Monaco, the heart of Catalonia - Barcelona, ​​as well as Dhaka (Bangladesh), the city-state of Singapore , Tokyo (Japan), and the previously mentioned Shanghai.

Population growth statistics by period

Despite the fact that humanity appeared more than three hundred years ago, for a long time its development was extremely slow. The short life expectancy and extremely difficult conditions took their toll.

Humanity exchanged its first billion only at the beginning of the nineteenth century, in 1820. A little more than a hundred years passed, and in 1927, newspapermen trumpeted the joyful news of the second billion earthlings. Just 33 years later, in 1960, they spoke about the third.

From this period, scientists began to seriously worry about a boom in the world's population growth. But this did not stop the four billionth inhabitant of the planet from joyfully announcing its appearance in 1974. In 1987, the bill reached five billion. The six billionth earthling was born closer to the millennium, at the end of 1999. Less than twelve years have passed since there are a billion more of us. At the current birth rate, no later than the end of the first quarter of this century, the name of the eight billionth person will appear in newspapers.

Such impressive successes have been achieved primarily due to a significant reduction in bloody wars that claim millions of lives. Many dangerous diseases were defeated, medicine learned to significantly prolong people's lives.

Consequences

Until the nineteenth century, people had little interest in the population of the world. The term “demography” was introduced into use only in 1855.

At the moment, the problem is becoming more and more threatening.

In the seventeenth century, it was believed that four billion people could live comfortably on our planet. As real life shows, this figure is significantly underestimated. The current seven and a half billion feel relatively comfortable with a reasonable distribution of resources.

Potential settlement opportunities are possible in Australia, Canada, and desert areas. This will require some efforts for improvement, but theoretically it is possible.

If we take into account exclusively territorial possibilities, then up to one and a half quadrillion people can be settled on the planet! This is a huge number that contains fifteen zeros!

But the use of resources and the rapid heating of the atmosphere will very quickly change the climate so much that the planet will become lifeless.

The maximum number of inhabitants on Earth (with moderate demands) should not exceed twelve billion. This figure is taken from food supply calculations. As the population grows, it is necessary to obtain more resources. To do this, it is necessary to use more areas for sowing, increase the number of livestock, and save water resources.

But if food problems can be solved relatively quickly, thanks to genetic technologies, then organizing the consumption of clean drinking water is a much more complex and costly undertaking.

In addition, humanity must move to the use of renewable energy sources - wind, sun, earth and water energy.

Forecasts

Chinese authorities have been trying to solve the problem of overpopulation for decades. For a long time, there was a program that allowed no more than one child per family. In addition, a powerful information campaign was carried out among the population.

Today we can say that the Chinese have succeeded. Population growth has stabilized and is projected to decline. Not the least role here was played by the factor of growth in the well-being of the people of China.

Regarding the poor in India, Indonesia, and Nigeria, the prospects are far from rosy. In just thirty years, China may lose the “palm” in the demographic issue. India's population could exceed one and a half billion people by 2050!

Population growth will only worsen the economic problems of poor countries.

Current programs

For a long time, people were forced to have a large number of children. Running a household required enormous strength, and it was impossible to cope alone.

A guaranteed pension could help solve the problem of overpopulation.

Also possible ways to solve the demographic issue are thoughtful social policy and reasonable family planning, as well as increasing the economic and social status of the fair half of humanity, and increasing the level of education in general.

Conclusion

It is very important to love yourself and your loved ones. But we should not forget that the planet on which we live is our common home, which must be treated with respect.

Today it is worth moderating your needs and thinking about planning so that our descendants can live as comfortably on the planet as we do ourselves.