World Population To Hit 7 Billion By 2012

WASHINGTON — The world's population will reach 7 billion in 2012, even as the global community struggles to satisfy its appetite for natural resources, according to a new government projection.

There are 6.7 billion people in the world today. The United States ranks third, with 304 million, behind China and India, according to projections released Thursday by the Census Bureau.

The world's population surpassed 6 billion in 1999, meaning it will take only 13 years to add a billion people.

By comparison, the number of people didn't reach 1 billion until 1800, said Carl Haub, a demographer at the Population Reference Bureau. It didn't reach 2 billion until 130 years later.

"You can easily see the effect of rapid population growth in developing countries," Haub said.

Haub said that medical and nutritional advances in developing countries led to a population explosion following World War II. Cultural changes are slowly catching up, with more women in developing countries going to school and joining the work force.

That is slowing the growth rate, though it is still high in many countries.

The global population is growing by about 1.2 percent per year. The Census Bureau projects the growth rate will decline to 0.5 percent by 2050.

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By then, India will have surpassed China as the most populous country.

The Census Bureau updates projections each year on a variety of global demographic trends, including fertility and mortality rates and life expectancy. U.S. life expectancy has surpassed 78 years for the first time, the National Center for Health Statistics announced last week.

The new Census report comes amid record high oil and gasoline prices, fueled in part by growing demand from expanding economies in China and India.

There is no consensus on how many people the Earth can sustain, said William Frey, a demographer at the Brookings Institution, a Washington think tank. He said it depends on how well people manage the Earth's resources.

Today, industrialized nations use a disproportionate share of oil and other resources, while developing countries are fueling population growth.

There are countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East where the average woman has more than six children in her lifetime. In Mali and Niger, two African nations, women average more than seven children.

"There's still a long way to go in the developing world," Frey said. "A lot of it does have to do with the education of women and the movement of women into the labor force."

In the U.S., women have an average of about two children, which essentially replaces the population. Much of the U.S. population growth comes from immigration.

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On The Net:

The Census Bureau's International Database:

http://www.census.gov/ipc/www/idb/index.html

Comments

[kingcityguru]

More people and less supply of oil as the Dems have their way and limit drilling. Gee, I wonder why the price is going up. Must be a conspiracy.

[BlazeKING]

Drilling won't fix anything and the only thing it MIGHT do is elongate the crisis. We have to deal with this now not make future generations deal with it.

The effects of Global Warming are negligible at best. It should be called Global Overpopulation. Weather seems more destructive but that's only because there are millions of more people living in areas where it can be destructive and has been destructive in the past.

Still, I still agree with the Global Warming message of having nonpolluting energy because pollutants are causing a drastic rise in cancer, asthma and autism and many other ailments.

[shockmagog]

So along with moving away from the failed Republican policies of the past, the "Dems" are helping to stifle Family Planning as well? Sounds like a tin foil conspiracy in your own mind.

[Chrisa]

Correct me If I'm wrong here, but doesn't the US have more than enough room for more people? European countries' population growth is going bust. Is this growth basically from China and India?

(btw, China's population growth will eventually be bust too. Not enough women. Oops!"

[Gasparilla]

OK, you're wrong. It's not just a matter of physically "fitting" people. It's the effect that each person has on the environment. We're running desperately short of water in places like the Southwest. And considering China has a population of a billion and a quarter, I don't think they have to worry about any shortage of people. Your opinions are preposterous.

[awcbuddy8]

You know the world is screwed up if the environment gets priority over actual living human beings.

[thedudeabides]

the planet is reaching the outer envelope of its capacity to provide for its
existing population...larger tracts of land are susceptible to drought...
the amount of arable land on earth is diminishing...more land is disappearing under water...
there are instances of famine and disease of massive proportion...
there doesn't have to be armaggedon, there doesn't need to be a nuclear holocaust
we will decimate the planet merely through overburdening it. to its anhialation...

[Gasparilla]

The planet will survive, and so will the human race. It's just a matter of how much pain, suffering and death we want to go through. We have far too many people than this earth can support in a decent lifestyle.

[kingcityguru]

Who says we have "too many" people?
That nonsense has been said for over 100 years. Remember the population bomb? The planet will survive and humans will find a way to adapt. Has no Lib ever watched Star Trek?

[DMcD]

Lemmings !!

[3dtrix]

Wow - I attempted to post a comment here a few minutes ago and when I pressed post, it vanished! I got a prompt saying my post was removed by the "bad word filter". What's really funny is that I didn't use any bad words - in fact, the point that I was trying to make was that one had to be careful what one said on this topic - no other subject engenders unhinged illogic and wholesale abandonment of reason like "population".

Those of you who believe that the earth is an essentially closed system, raise your hands.

Ever seen a petri dish in a lab - you know, a tiny closed system with a little nutrient?

Imagine you're the microbe introduced into the petri dish - looks pretty big, huh? Almost unlimited space and resources.

Let's have a party! Eat all you want! Make lots of babies! Let the babies make babies!

Ever seen a petri dish at the end of its cycle? If you're the microbe looking for food or a place for your progeny, it doesn't look so big anymore.

Look around, folks - do the math. The party's almost over.

[DMcD]

Back in the 90's , I was starting to have some hope for our species --- peace was breaking out all over but in the years since , well; you know the story. On occasion, I ponder as to what over-riding factors cause these 'backward steps" ---- religous jealots , power-mongers and antagonistic profiteers of course come to mind but , there are other factors as well.

Every time I read about population numbers , I remember back a few years ago to a story about a study where scientists studied rats vs. over-population. The more rats they added to the cage , the more agitated, irratic and prone to violence they became -- plain and simple. We can see this even in our own species, on the subway (even in the normally curteous Japanese) and in crowd situations everywhere (which I go to great lenghts to avoid). Now , with high gas prices , there's talk of societies returning to urban settings instead of the suburbs ------ with the increased numbers of people, I don't see this as viable because; we just don't really like each other very much. I include myself --- I need "my space".

[johnnyjust]

This just in from the "People Are The Problem" people:

"There are too many people in the world!"

Easy solution. All liberals must leave. Not only would it be quieter, it would be more peaceful.

Come on, don't be a hypocrite. If you think people are the problem you'll be glad to go and save Mother Ghia. Oh, it's the "other" people that are the problem. The darker ones, right? Gotcha.

[morbie5]

"Oh, it's the "other" people that are the problem. The darker ones, right? Gotcha."

Well, why don't you look at the facts?

Do you know of any european country where on average people are pumping out 4 or 5 children they can't afford to take care of?

[DANOSC]

If all the liberals leave, that would leave only the stupid people. Just wondering who would then clean up the mess the conservatives create?

[Gasparilla]

Johnny, where do people like you come up with such idiotic statements? Why does one have to "leave" for pointing out a problem? Unless you think 7 billion people is no problem?

[helonias]

I don't think the earth will let that happen

[watchingthings]

The countries that expand their populations the most are usually those that are least able to feed them. Education about birth control is what they sorely need. If they will not control themselves and do something like China has done [one child per family]....then we should seriously think about holding back food and medicine to them in the interest of the whole world. Does it make sense for the whole world to starve just because there are those who won't control their sexual desires....or in some cases listen to their pastors who tell them to be fruitfull and multiply without telling them how they are supposed to feed all those kids?

[beaupritchard]

I am encouraged by some of the thoughts here on what the real problem of too little energy too little food global warming is. Limiting population growth though a taboo subject in a society that is hell bent on globalization and an ever expanding economy is a practical and prescient way of thinking . We should think about it now rather than when we have to.

[ADVOCATE4ZPG]

The time to think of OVERPOPULATION was decades ago, but the POLITICAL CORRECTNESS of the "open borders" apologists as well as the virulent anti-abortionists deflected any serious consideration. Ronald Reagan was iconic among the latter!

The former (the LIMITLESS immigration cohort!) BLANCH at all talk of OVERPOPULATION because it is principally occurring among their "mascot populations" in the Third World whom they wish to insert in the rel. stable populations of the developed countries. In short the "political­ly-correct­," Obama among them, wish to IMPORT the chaos, resource depletion, and declining social standards of the Third World to the U.S. and Europe.

[kingcityguru]

Don't worry, all the growth is happening in Muslim countries. Give them another 50 years and majority rules. I am sure that once they have the demographic pull in the world they will switch their policies/religion to one more in tune with today's Liberal thinking. Ahhh, maybe not -- anyone note the rise in gay bashinig/murder in Denmark?

[morbie5]

Newsflash: The population growth isn't a problem in this society because we aren't the ones that our doing the growing.

[beaupritchard]

You don't wait until something is a problem before you solve it.

Population growth is a problem in many cities ... New York and Los Angelos come to mind. In Los Angelos its water ... In New York its space.

I would differ with you on your premise that population growth is not a problem in the United States. Demand for energy is up ... we are doing exactly what civilizations on the decline faced with limited resources do.

Having reached a peak it becomes economically necessary to recycle waste back into the system. ... scrap yards are booming ... recycled copper and brass are at an alltime high. If you've gone to the markets grain(corn wheat rice) is at an all time high.

There are many other examples of population becoming a problem just in the United States ... overcrowded schools ... freeways ... many other examples.

[beaupritchard]

One opinion writenn by a gentleman named Bartlett give a breif(readable) synopsis. http://www.hubbertpeak.com/Bartlett/worstPop.htm

I would say this ... be aware those who preface defence of a laissez faire form of population control(Friedman). It is a way of thinking about population and control written as a preface to globalization and ever expanding markets. Friedman could not have postulated a global economy without addressing what to do about those who wish to limit population growth.

Nowhere in any civilization in history has it been shown to work. In fact the opposite Malthusian conclusion has been shown to be true. It is genetically ingrained into our dna to go to war when population grows denser than the land can support.

The only way Friedman actually works is when one postulates ever increasing discovery of land along with ever increasing population. In all other cases when population exceeds the ability of the land to support the populace malthusian conclusions reassert themselves.

[beaupritchard]

To large extent the push for globalization is really about whos going to be in charge when malthusian conclusions reassert themselves.

Those who chase the prize seem certain the French solution(the bastilles) does not await them.

[awcbuddy8]

And thus fascism begins. I assume you will pick which infants to discard.

[Gasparilla]

And who said one word about which "infants to discard"? I think we're talking about things like family planning and birth control. What's your solution? Have as many babies as you can and let them starve?

[dubop]

Gloucester Ma. could make it considerably larger. Is there something in the water up there? I know I'm older than these guys but even most young folks would think that 14 or 15 the object is to NOT get pregnant. Times sure have changed.

[AbstractImp]

"it depends on how well people manage the Earth's resources"

Our basic habit seems to be, eat everything in sight until it's all gone, and then look around for something else.

You can compare the oil industry to the fish industry.

People discovered eating fish in the mesolithic, and it quickly became the sustaining industry for almost every coastal community in the world. And where are we now?

You see, someday we will look around and there will not be any "something else" left to eat.

This is in fact the very reason why some people believe that human beings did come from Mars, because looking at Mars, they can see what these same human beings are doing here to the earth.

I am 52. I am hoping for the next generation to take over America, because my generation has done a very poor job preparing for catastrophes they kow full well to be upon the horizon. To busy stealing from the treasury and starting war crimes, I guess.

And of course, the neocon purveyors of the shock doctrine are all ready to profit on every disaster that comes along!

"Bring em on!"

[beaupritchard]

"You see, someday we will look around and there will not be any "something else" left to eat."

Someday there will only be each other ... "long pig" as polynesian cultures like to call it. (Here I'd like to make the point that tall thin guys are particularly unappetizing ... no need to think about it ... just tuck it away in the back of your mind)

[JohnFObama]

im not worried, we're going to starve ourselves back to a sustainable population and if that doesnt work ww3 and maybe ww4 will come around to take out a billion or 2 people, hopefully all this will be after i die and the 10 kids im going have can deal with it as they inherit my collection of 5 hummers

[kingcityguru]

One great way to feed people is to stop burning FOOD FOR FUEL. That is crazy.
Oil is the most efficient means of delivering energy/dollar for automobiles until electric cars become standard and nuclear plants are built to fuel them. That said, Tunisia has no problem allowing offshore drilling and also allows companies to deduct ALL costs of finding the oil before charging royalties and taxes as long as the first flow is sold to Tunisia. Why can't the US do that? Because of that policy I own Candax (cax.to) a Tunisia oil company tied to Canada that pulls oil out of the sea near Tunisia for $10/barrel, sells the natural gas by-product to Tunisia for its electrical plant for almost nothing, and will not pay taxes/royalties until it recovers all its costs. Win. Win. Win.

[MajorKong]

Cute slogan. Here's one. How about we use FARMLAND FOR FARMS and not McMansions and WalMart parking lots?

[morbie5]

Norway drills offshore also. They are a very green country.

[mamacat]

I can remember when the news was that the world population had hit 3 billion. In a few years it will be 7 billion.
We got a little breathing room when the Chinese government imposed its 1 child per family rule, but that hasn't stopped parts of the rest of the world from breeding like flies.
If we do not achieve something like zpg, we will make the earth uninhabitable. Maybe it is time for the Pope and all the others who are opposed to zpg to wake up and care about the quality of life, and not just about increasing the numbers of those who are alive.
If the world population can grow from less than 3 to more than 7 billion in my lifetime, what will my grandchildren and greatgrandchildren have to look forward to?