It took thousands of years for the global population to hit 5 billion, which happened in 1987. Some 32 years later, we're closing in on 8 billion. And by 2050, the world is projected to add another 2 billion people.
This explosive growth concerns leaders at the United Nations, who created World Population Day in 1989 to raise awareness about the problems caused by overpopulation. The holiday is observed annually on July 11.The planet's population today is 7.7 billion. How mind-bogglingly huge is that number? If you started now and ticked off 7.7 billion seconds, you wouldn't be done until the year 2263.And by 2050, the world is projected to add another 2 billion people.
Population growth across Africa 00:56People in the poorest countries have shorter livesGlobal life expectancy is expected to increase from 72.6 years to 77.1 years in 2050. But life expectancy at birth in the least developed countries lags 7.4 years behind the global average. The UN says this is largely because of high levels of child and maternal mortality along with the HIV epidemic and violence in areas torn by conflict.
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