World population surpassed seven billion on October 31, 2011, according to UN data. The global population is still rising rapidly, especially in emerging countries. World Bank statistics show that Africa will have the largest population in the world by 2040. The European and Japanese population is aging. Even China’s population growth rate has come down due to its one-child policy. India, which is expected to become the world’s most populous country soon, has a lower birth rate than Africa. So, it’s a big question how our planet is going to sustain such a large population.
Recently, 100 People: A World Portrait tried to simplify the population issues. Using the United Nations, WHO and other data, it shrank the global population to just 100 people. The original statistics that inspired the 100 People project were published in 1992 by the Retired Peace Corps of Madison, Wisconsin. At the time, there were 5.48 billion people on earth. Today the population has grown to 7.2 billion. So, Business Insider has come up with an infographic that portrays today’s world.
World population at just 100
The infographic shows that if the world population were just 100, there will be 60 Asians, 15 Africans, 14 Americans and 11 Europeans. Of them, 74 would be adults (8 people above 65) and 26 would be children. When it comes to religion, there would be 32 Christians, 22 Muslims, 14 Hindus, and 7 Buddhist. Chinese would be the most popular language, spoken by 12 people. Five people would speak English, and another five would have Spanish as their first language.
When it comes to education and advancement, 83 would be literate. But the remaining 17 people won’t be able to read and write. Seven out of 100 would have a college degree, and 22 would have their own computer. Let’s come to the crucial thing: while 21 would be overweight, 15 people would be undernourished and one would be dying of starvation. And the smartphone revolution will ensure that at least 75 of the 100 people own cell phones.
