America Counts: Stories Behind the Numbers

Estimated # of People on Earth? 7.58 Billion

World population is estimated to reach 7.58 billion this month as World Population Day is celebrated on July 11 but the U.S. Census Bureau is projecting another milestone: Annual population growth will slip under 1.0% in 2020-2021 for the first time since 1950.

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The United Nations declared July 11 as World Population Day in 1989, two years after world population crossed the 5 billion mark. 

World Population 10,000 BC - 2050 AD: From 10,000 BC through the early 1800s, the world population stayed below 1 billion globally. By the 20^th Century, population totals soared, more than doubling between 1920 and 1980 from fewer than 2 billion people to almost 4.5 billion in 60 years. 

World Population 1988 - 2050 AD: The U.S. Census Bureau’s International Data Base shows that world population increased by more than 50% in the 32 years since the Day of Five Billion in 1987.

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About America Counts

America Counts tells the stories behind the numbers in a new inviting way. It features stories on various topics such as families, housing, employment, business, education, the economy, emergency preparedness, and population. Contact our Public Information Office for media inquiries or interviews.