World Population
Geography: KS3, topic 13.1.1
World Population Growth
The world population is growing rapidly, more rapidly in developing countries.
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World population growth
- The industrial revolution in the late 1700s kicked off the world's rapid population increase.
- The world population reached:
- One billion in 1820.
- Three billion by 1960.
- Four billion by 1974.
- Six billion by 1999.
- Seven billion by 2011.
- World population is growing by roughly one billion every 13 years.
- In 2023, India overtook China as the country with the largest population in the world, with more than 1.43 billion people.
Reasons for growth
- The main reason for population growth is an increasing birth rate and a decreasing death rate.
- Birth rates are quite low in developed countries such as the UK.
- This is due to access to contraception and education about how to prevent pregnancy.
- Death rates are also low in developed countries.
- This is due to access to health care and education about healthy lifestyles.
- Birth and death rates are still quite high in developing countries such as Kenya.
Test yourself on World Population
Which period in history kicked off rapid population growth?