How Fast Does the World Population Grow?

The world population growth is estimated to be about 200,000 people each day, or 80 million people yearly. The world population is more than 7 billion, about double what it was in 1970. The population is projected to be more than 9 billion by 2050 and 11 billion by 2100, an annual growth rate of about 1.1%. The highest world population growth rate in modern times was recorded in 1963, when it was 2.2%.

More about the global population:

• China and India have the highest populations worldwide and combine to make up more than one-third of the world's population.
• After the development of agriculture in about 8000 B.C., the world’s population was estimated to have been about 5 million people and had a steady growth rate of about 0.5% per year until the Black Plague decreased the European population by about 50% during the 1300s.
• Nigeria, because of its high fertility rate, is projected to surpass the United States as the third-most populous country by 2050 and surpass China as the most populated country by 2100.