According to most estimates, the human population passed 8 billion in late 2022. Now is a good time to talk about the human population and how it is changing. It has not just increased in size; it has also changed in composition. Since about 1970, the population has been growing linearly, increasing by 1 billion every 12 years. Linear growth is unusual in nature. Populations normally grow exponentially until they approach a limit. This linear growth seems to be a fluke. During that period, the world had declining fertility, but the population was increasing. The result just happened to be roughly linear growth.
The Demographic Tsunami
The Demographic Tsunami
The Demographic Tsunami
According to most estimates, the human population passed 8 billion in late 2022. Now is a good time to talk about the human population and how it is changing. It has not just increased in size; it has also changed in composition. Since about 1970, the population has been growing linearly, increasing by 1 billion every 12 years. Linear growth is unusual in nature. Populations normally grow exponentially until they approach a limit. This linear growth seems to be a fluke. During that period, the world had declining fertility, but the population was increasing. The result just happened to be roughly linear growth.