Human history begins around 190,000 years ago. Then Homo erectus became Homo sapiens. How many people were in the beginning, nobody knows. But demographers place the first estimated results around 10,000 years ago, because then the oldest censuses appeared. And so, unhurriedly, the population of the Earth was steadily increasing, although epidemics and wars were also taking their toll. There are two important moments in history – around the 4th century B.C. there was an agricultural revolution, and in the second half of the 18th century CE industry revolution. Better living conditions and increased agricultural production encouraged terrestrials to increase reproduction and thus the development of the world’s population became more dynamic.

The more the merrier…

Around 1650, the population was approx. 500 million. A billion was exceeded after 200 years (around 1850), another around 1930 (80 years later). The next two billion were born for just 45 years (around 1975). How many of us are there at present? Almost 7.5 billion. If you are interested in more detailed statistics, please visit the live population counter page in English (more informations) i in Polish (some data).

Opinions about the future are divided. The UN and the World Bank predicted (2006) the development of the world’s population by 2025 to a level of 7 to 15 billion. Regardless of the forecasts, at some point our planet will say „enough”, which can be nicely called environmental resistance. We will not be able to produce enough food for everyone.

Population density, i.e. uneven distribution of people

Looking at the Western European and American „two plus dog” family model , you may wonder where this exponential population growth is going. Well, mainly in Asia, Africa and South America. The share of citizens of individual continents has changed over time (1970->1980->2001):

• Africa – 9,9% -> 10,7% -> 13,3%
• Asia – 58% -> 59,4% -> 60,7%
• Latin America – 7,7% -> 8,1% -> 8,6%
• Europe – 17,8% -> 15,6% -> 11,8%
• North America – 6,1% -> 5,7% ->5,1%
• Australia and Oceania – a constant level 0,5%

However, people are unevenly distributed not only in terms of continents. In 2001, 3/4 of the Asian population living in only 5 countries (China, India, Indonesia, Bangladesh and Pakistan). Similarly, in Africa, where 2/5 people were citizens of 5 countries (Egypt, South Africa, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Dem. Rep. Congo) and Latin America, where 3/5 people lived in 4 countries (Brazil, Argentina, Mexico and Colombia). If you sum up the results only from these countries, 3.5 billion people would come out, or almost 60% of the world’s population.
Currently, (February 2017, current statistics here) most people live in:

1. China 1.386 billion
2. India 1.337 billion
3. USA 325 million <= one billion less than China and India!
4. Indonesia 262 million
5. Brazil 210 million
6. Pakistan 195 million
7. Nigeria 190 million
8. Bangladesh 164 million
9. Russia 143 million
10. Mexico 129 million

—————-
37. Poland 38 million

For comparison of areas or countries, population density is used as the universal indicator. And so it is densest in countries such as Monaco (25,510 people / km2), Macao (20,280 people / km2), Singapore (8,264 people / km2) and Hong Kong (7050 people / km2). And the least-densely concentrated areas are Mongolia and eastern Sahara (2 people / km2), Australia, Namibia and French Guiana (3 people / km2) and Canada, Libya, Mauritania, Botswana, Guyana and Suriname (4 people / km2). For comparison, Poland has 126 people / km2.

The most and least populated areas on Earth

Generally, where most people live per square kilometre?

• large agglomerations and urban and industrial districts (highly developed countries’ markets, industry) e.g. Hong Kong, Shanghai and Chinese Pacific cities, Mexico, Beijing, Buenos Aires, Benelux, North Rhine, Paris, London, northern Italy, Great Lakes on the US border and Canada, California, São Paulo, Japanese cities, Cairo, Jakarta
• areas of extensive agriculture (underdeveloped countries’ agriculture) e.g. Chinese Plain, Ganges, Nile Delta, Java, Sichuan Basin
• coastal areas (flat coasts, mild climates, trade and fishing opportunities)

And the least people per km2 can be found in areas where settlement barriers exist, i.e. factors that prevent or very impede settlement:

• thermal – desert and polar areas, tropical rainforests
• light – behind the Arctic circles
• water – wetland or desert areas
• gravitational – steep mountain slopes