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Myth Busters >
"There are more people alive today than have ever lived"
Back in the 1970s, someone made the statement that there are more people alive at this moment than have ever lived. Although deeply disturbing to reincarnationists, the concept struck a nerve as there was global concern at the time about the 'population explosion'. It must still have appeal, as versions of it are cropping up thirty years later. But, is it true?
The world population clock estimated that there were 6.6 billion people living in October 2007. For the myth to be true, the total number of people who have ever lived would have to be less than 13.2 billion (that is, less than twice the number alive at this moment).
For most of the world's history, there were no censuses or births and deaths records, so the only way this myth can be tested is by using the best 'guesstimates' of demographers modelling historic human population growth. There is debate about the detail of these guesses; for example, when does one start counting? With such limitations in mind, a conservative but educated guess of how many people have ever lived places the number at around 110 billion, with estimates ranging from 45 to 125 billion people. Even the lower estimate of 45 billion people outnumbers the 6.6 billion people alive today by nearly 7 to 1, leading to...
Conclusion: this myth is busted
How did the myth arise?
Because of high mortality rates, the human population remained at relatively low levels until the 18th century. A world population of one billion was estimated to have been reached in the early 1800s, with the second billion being reached around 130 years later, in the early 1930s. Only seventy years after that, in the year 2000, an extra four billion people had been added to the world population, which then stood at six billion. This rapid population growth led to the idea that more people are alive now than had ever been alive.
With gradual decreases in fertility in recent years, population growth has slowed considerably. According to United Nations population projections, a world population of seven billion will be reached in 2013, and then stabilise at the 10 billion mark by the 2200s. At this rate of growth, the living will never outnumber the dead.
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