Earth's Human Population
Year Population Average annual
growth rate (%)		 Average annual
population change
60,000 years BPWorld population estimated at 1 million
40,000 years BPWorld population estimated at 2.5 million
10,000 years BPWorld population estimated at 10 million
2,000 years BPWorld population estimated at 250 to 300 million
 
1850World population about 1 billion
1930World population about 2 billion
 
1950 2,555,360,972 1.47 37,778,885
1951 2,593,139,857 1.61 42,053,044
1952 2,635,192,901 1.71 45,329,628
1953 2,680,522,529 1.77 47,963,947
1954 2,728,486,476 1.87 51,443,464
1955 2,779,929,940 1.89 52,950,840
1956 2,832,880,780 1.95 55,818,262
1957 2,888,699,042 1.94 56,497,436
1958 2,945,196,478 1.76 52,325,622
1959 2,997,522,100 1.39 42,063,430
 
1960 3,039,585,530 1.33 40,781,944
1961 3,080,367,474 1.80 56,083,958
1962 3,136,451,432 2.19 69,505,133
1963 3,205,956,565 2.19 71,068,163
1964 3,277,024,728 2.08 68,977,947
1965 3,346,002,675 2.08 70,182,293
1966 3,416,184,968 2.02 69,696,324
1967 3,485,881,292 2.04 71,809,376
1968 3,557,690,668 2.08 74,603,854
1969 3,632,294,522 2.05 75,181,365
 
1970 3,707,475,887 2.07 77,481,275
1971 3,784,957,162 2.00 76,580,060
1972 3,861,537,222 1.95 76,061,813
1973 3,937,599,035 1.90 75,417,363
1974 4,013,016,398 1.81 73,133,795
1975 4,086,150,193 1.74 71,677,422
1976 4,157,827,615 1.72 72,095,328
1977 4,229,922,943 1.69 72,030,718
1978 4,301,953,661 1.73 74,944,211
1979 4,376,897,872 1.71 75,686,720
 
1980 4,452,584,592 1.69 75,926,866
1981 4,528,511,458 1.75 79,899,159
1982 4,608,410,617 1.75 81,429,804
1983 4,689,840,421 1.69 80,046,403
1984 4,769,886,824 1.70 81,705,798
1985 4,851,592,622 1.70 83,300,366
1986 4,934,892,988 1.73 85,916,227
1987 5,020,809,215 1.71 86,594,968
1988 5,107,404,183 1.68 86,701,729
1989 5,194,105,912 1.67 87,547,908
 
1990 5,281,653,820 1.57 83,826,456
1991 5,365,480,276 1.55 83,889,360
1992 5,449,369,636 1.49 81,644,999
1993 5,531,014,635 1.44 80,255,348
1994 5,611,269,983 1.42 80,489,227
1995 5,691,759,210 1.38 78,941,810
1996 5,770,701,020 1.36 79,184,281
1997 5,849,885,301 1.32 77,671,228
1998 5,927,556,529 1.28 76,613,527
1999 6,004,170,056 1.25 75,433,515
 
2000 6,079,603,571 1.21 74,198,390
2001 6,153,801,961 1.18 73,131,957
2002 6,226,933,918 1.16 72,829,487
2003 6,299,763,405 1.15 73,034,337
2004 6,372,797,742 1.14 73,333,658
2005 6,446,131,400 1.13 73,513,683
2006 6,519,645,083 1.12 73,671,901
2007 6,593,316,984 1.12 73,955,357
2008 6,667,272,341 1.11 74,218,880
2009 6,741,491,221 1.10 74,400,969
 
2010 6,815,892,190 1.09 74,590,249
2011 6,890,482,439 1.08 74,702,291
2012 6,965,184,730 1.06 74,506,473
2013 7,039,691,203 1.05 74,049,210
2014 7,113,740,413 1.03 73,343,850
2015 7,187,084,263 1.00 72,593,761
2016 7,259,678,024 0.99 71,875,898
2017 7,331,553,922 0.96 71,047,770
2018 7,402,601,692 0.94 70,110,075
2019 7,472,711,767 0.92 69,061,986
 
2020 7,541,773,753 0.90 68,023,169
2021 7,609,796,922 0.88 67,010,972
2022 7,676,807,894 0.86 65,920,173
2023 7,742,728,067 0.83 64,783,424
2024 7,807,511,491 0.81 63,631,955
2025 7,871,143,446 0.79 62,592,242
2026 7,933,735,688 0.77 61,681,249
2027 7,995,416,937 0.76 60,783,813
2028 8,056,200,750 0.74 59,888,248
2029 8,116,088,998 0.72 58,986,484
 
2030 8,175,075,482 0.71 58,162,483
2031 8,233,237,965 0.70 57,424,718
2032 8,290,662,683 0.68 56,676,979
2033 8,347,339,662 0.67 55,903,654
2034 8,403,243,316 0.65 55,100,548
2035 8,458,343,864 0.64 54,337,753
2036 8,512,681,617 0.63 53,623,551
2037 8,566,305,168 0.62 52,888,158
2038 8,619,193,326 0.60 52,126,177
2039 8,671,319,503 0.59 51,326,750
 
2040 8,722,646,253 0.58 50,548,728
2041 8,773,194,981 0.57 49,792,881
2042 8,822,987,862 0.55 48,986,027
2043 8,871,973,889 0.54 48,129,896
2044 8,920,103,785 0.53 47,232,506
2045 8,967,336,291 0.52 46,351,263
2046 9,013,687,554 0.50 45,489,262
2047 9,059,176,816 0.49 44,599,804
2048 9,103,776,620 0.48 43,693,726
2049 9,147,470,346 0.47 42,782,186
 
2050 9,190,252,532   

 


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Absolute Population: a measure of number of people on the planet.

Relative Population: a measure of population density. Population density is usually expressed in units of people per square kilometer.

Carrying Capacity: the amount of food that an area of land will yield and, therefore, the number of people that an area of land will support.

Realized Intrinsic Rate of Growth - a measure of the difference between natality (birth rate) and mortality (death rate).

r = n - m
 

 

Malthus Approach to Population and Carrying Capacity: human population will increases until carrying capacity is exceeded, resulting in starvation. Human population growth is a biological imperative.

Boserups Approach to Population and Carrying Capacity: human population will increase only if carrying capacity is increased. Human population growth is culturally determined.

 

Conclusions:

  • The natural carrying capacity of the planet is roughly 10 million people.
     
  • Carrying capacity was artificially increased by the introduction of agriculture begining roughly 10,000 years ago.
     
  • Population increases was accelerated after 10,000 years ago, but not at modern levels.
     
  • Massively accelerated population growth is a modern phenomenon.
     
  • Human population growth is not a biological imperative, but is culturally determined.
 

Population Web-links:

OK Center for Health Statistics

U.S. Census Bureau

State & County QuickFacts