World Population Day 2019, which is observed on July 11, is meant to raise awareness about solutions related to the growing population. Established by the United Nations Development Programme in 1989, World Population Day is being celebrated for over three decades. A major objective behind observing World Population Day is to make people aware about the consequences of the increasing population.
The world population touched 1 billion mark in 1804, following which it reached 2 billion after 126 years in 1930. The world's population reached 3 billion after 30 years in 1960 and 4 billion after in 1974. To reach five billion, it took only 13 years (1987). The 6-billion mark was attained after 12 years in 1999. The next billion addition to population took 12 years (2011). As per latest available info, the world population reached 7.71 billion as of July 10, 2019.
China remains the most populous country in the world with 1.4 billion inhabitants (18.4 per cent of world population) followed by India with 1.3 billion inhabitants (17.7 per cent of world population). Together these two countries account for 2.79 billion people or 36.15 per cent of the world population. The United States (329 Million) is the third most populous country followed by Indonesia (269 million), Brazil (212 million), Pakistan (204 million), Nigeria (200 million), Bangladesh (168 million), Russia (143 million) and Mexico (132 million).
As per a demographic analysis by Pew research centre, nearly one in every three people in the world is a Christian. Around 31 per cent of the world's population follows Christianity. Nearly one in every four people in the world is a Muslim, accounting for 24 per cent of the world's population. Followed by Hinduism (15 per cent), Buddhism (6.9 per cent), Folk religion (5.7 per cent), other religions (0.8 per cent). Only 0.2 per cent of the world's population follows Judaism. As per the same report, 16 per cent of the world population is not affiliated to any religion.
It has been estimated that around 106 billion people have been born since the dawn of the human species, making the population currently alive roughly 6% of all people who have ever lived on the planet Earth.
The average person on Earth is a 28-year-old right-handed Han Chinese male. There are 9 million people on Earth who fit that description, more than any other.
It is estimated that 30 per cent of the population growth in the world is due to unwanted and accidentals pregnancies.
As per 2017 the United Nations report, around 50.4 per cent of the world's population is male and 49.6 per cent is female.
The world is ageing rapidly. People aged 60 and older make up 12.3 per cent of the global population, and by 2050 that number will rise to almost 22 per cent.
As per the United Nations 2017 report, the number of international migrants worldwide has continued to grow rapidly in recent years, reaching 258 million in 2017 from 220 million in 2010 and 173 million in 2000.