World population

Pakistanis shops in a weekly pet market in Lahore, Pakistan, Nov. 13, 2022.

As Earth surpasses 8 billion people, ‘the planet can feed and sustain billions more,’ demographer says

Lifestyle

It only took just over a decade for the world to add 1 billion more people. To break down what this growth means for societies around the globe, The World’s host Carol Hills speaks to demographer and author Jennifer Sciubba.

An artist rendering of European soldiers disembarking from ships being greeted by two Indigenous men

European colonization of the Americas killed 10 percent of world population and caused global cooling

World is ticking toward a milestone: 7 billionth person expected on Halloween

World Population Set to Reach 10 Billion By End of Century

World Population Day brings family planning issues into focus

Health & Medicine

Podcast: The World Population at Seven Billion

On October 31st, world population reached seven billion. That’s according to the latest estimates by the United Nations Population Fund. We explore what that means for the planet and our future in it. We compare family planning programs in two South Asian countries. Also, breaking news about a Dutch science scandal.

Is There a Fertility Class Divide in America?

The world’s population is set to reach seven billion on Monday, October 31, 2011. And all this week, The Takeaway is talking about what this monumental number means for people, resources and the planet. Statistics in the U.S. show that the average American woman has 2.1 children. With these numbers the population balance should looks […]

Should Countries Offer Incentives to Have Children?

According to the United Nations, the world’s population is set to hit seven billion on October 31st. And all this week The Takeaway is talking about what this monumental number means. Some Western countries are seeing a decline in the number of babies born leaving many governments worried about the future age and strength of […]

Zambia’s Population Boom

The United Nations says that by the end of October, the world’s population will surpass seven billion. The world population is now growing by roughly 80 million people per year. The tiny African nation of Zambia is among many nations around the world experiencing a population boom. Thirteen million people now live in Zambia, compared […]

Reaching Seven Billion: The History of Population Control

The world’s population is expected to reach seven billion on Monday, October 31, 2011.  All this week The Takeaway looks at population growth and what it means for natural resources and the planet. High population growth has long concerned politicians and policymakers. The Earth’s population first reached 1 billion in 1805, around the midpoint of the […]