In Figures - Global Population

With global population now exceeding 7 billion, National Geographic examined provided a broad overview of demographic trends that got us to today and will impact us tomorrow.

Meanwhile, the global population is still growing by an estimated 79 million per year.

It was just over two centuries ago that the global population was 1 billion — in 1804. But better medicine and improved agriculture resulted in higher life expectancy for children, dramatically increasing the world population, especially in the West. U.N. forecasts suggest the world population could hit a peak of 10.1 billion by 2100 before beginning to decline.