We are 7 billion

Wednesday, 26 October 2011 18:28

Written by Niamh Griffin

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There are now 7 billion humans on the planet, according to the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), which has launched a report this week.

The world's population at a glance

In 2011, say the UNFPA, 60 per cent of the world’s population lives in Asia (4.2 billion), and 15 per cent in Africa (1 billion)

The Americas, Europe and Oceania combined have a population of 1.7 billion with Europe’s population expected to peak at 0.74 billion in 2025.

On average women are having less children than in the 1960s but the global population continues to rise

People under 25 make up 43 per cent of the world’s population

Average life expectancy has increased from 48 years in the 1950s to 68 years in 2011. (The UNDP say it is 70, see "Some extraordinarily good news".)

Infant mortality has dropped from 133 deaths per thousand in the 1950s to 46 per thousand

In countries with high population growth and low incomes many teenage girls and women do not have free choice over their fertility

Migration and urban growth are key factors in population control in middle-income countries

Countries where birth rates are falling below the replacement rate are faced with shortages in the workforce and decreased productivity

The replacement fertility level in any population is 2.1 children; in more developed countries the rate is only 1.7 in 2011 while in least developed countries the typical family has between 4.2 and 4.8 children.