On November 15, 2022, the population of the planet reached 8 billion people. In all six habitable continents, there has been an increase in population, so much so that the world population growth rate has reached 0.83% per year.
The continent with the highest current population is Asia, with China and India having the highest population in terms of individual countries. North America comes in second, with Africa following closely behind.
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Reaching 8 Billion People
The countries with the most growth in terms of sheer growth rate and fertility rate are Nigeria and Pakistan. In contrast, growth in terms of migration rate is most evident in the United States, Russia, and Brazil. Overall, global life expectancy has grown from 29 to 73 years since 1800. These numbers indicate a better global health and an older world population.
In general, experts have found that the healthier a country, the longer its life expectancy tends to be, and the lower their fertility rates are. When measuring world health, Spain, Italy, and Iceland take the cake for the healthiest countries in the world. In contrast, the unhealthiest countries in the world are South Sudan, Somalia, and Chad.
This growing world has also affected business. Global GDP has slowed overall, and there is a greater potential for labor shortages. In addition, there is now a greater demand to serve our aging population; Assisted living facilities, pharmaceuticals, and hospitals are set to boom.
On the bright side, this older population increases our productivity, as longer lives lead to increased capital. Also, larger countries lead to an increase in multinational corporations. In fact, MNCs and affiliates contributed to 36% of global output in 2016 alone.
Earth’s growing population is expected to peak at 10.4 billion in 2080. This rapid and continual increase is bitter-sweet, as described by experts. On one hand, it is direct evidence of the sheer resilience of the human species and our ability to evolve and adapt, which is commendable.
However, many also warn the public that rapid population growth might lead to congestion, depletion of nonrenewable resources, deforestation, pollution, and the inevitable global warming.
The journey to 9 billion is underway, with experts predicting that Africa will soon become the fastest growing continent on the planet. International migration will also increase over time, as today, global migration represents 3.3% of all people. The bottom line remains that in an ever-growing world, change and evolution is the only constant.
Infographic source: Grad School Center
