The world became a bigger, more crowded place today. The global population is expected to hit seven billion. Along with the birth of a 5 lb., 8-oz baby girl in Manila Philippines came all the worries that surround the planet's future. An eye-opening statistic from Population Connection, a national group dedicated to education and research of growing global population, reports this phenomenon comes only 12-years after the world reached 6-billion people. University of Florida Associate Professor of Anthropology, Susan DeFrance says researchers have always known this day would come.
Demographics from the United Nations show it took until 1804 for the world to reach its first billion people. DeFrance says as population numbers began their quick rise data shows booms have begun in regions which once had sparing numbers.
DeFrance says through her research work throughout the world, her main questions ask whether or not their will be food, clean water, shelter, education and a decent life for every human being.
Numerous regions have placed an importance on preventing over-population. In India, the world's second most populous country, a deeply religious preference for sons has resulted in 893 girls for every one-thousand boys at birth.. China meanwhile.. which is the world's most populated country with 1-point 3-4 billion people implemented a one-child government policy three decades ago to deter over-population.. DeFrance says aside from these areas, we may be looking at the wrong geographical areas for high growth numbers.
DeFrance says with an enormous world population the planet may soon see changes in climate and socio-economics that have yet to be seen.
The United Nations estimates the world's population will reach 8-billion by 2025 and 10-billion by 2083. Those numbers could vary depending on factors such as life expectancy to to access to birth control to infant mortality rates. DeFrance says once the planet's population reaches 10-billion, this will mark the critical point when world leaders need to re-evaluate growth projections.
As higher standards of living and better health care are reaching more parts of the world, the rates of fertility and population growth have started to slow down, though the population will continue to grow for the foreseeable future. U.N. forecasts show that by the end of the century the world could reach a population upward of 15-billion people.