6 Billion Call It Home--and Other Facts of Life on Earth.How did the population experts decide that on October October: see month. 12 the world population hit 6 billion? They based their projections on estimates of fertility fertility: see infertility. fertility Ability of an individual or couple to reproduce through normal sexual activity. About 80% of healthy, fertile women are able to conceive within one year if they have intercourse regularly without contraception. (birthrates), mortality (death rates), and migration. The United Nations Population Division estimated the midyear mid·year n. 1. The middle of the calendar or academic year. 2. a. An examination given in the middle of a school year. b. midyears A series of such examinations. total and projected that it has been growing by 148 people a minute (247 births minus 99 deaths). Here are a few other facts from the population experts: * The world population's highest growth rate was 2.04 percent in the late 1960s. This year, it is about 1.31 percent. * In 1965, 75 million people were migrants from another country. Today, 125 million are migrants. * The median age of the world's population increased from 23.5 years in 1950 to 26.4 years today. * In 2050, population is projected to reach 8.9 billion. Asia will account for 59 percent, Africa for 20 percent, and Latin America Latin America, the Spanish-speaking, Portuguese-speaking, and French-speaking countries (except Canada) of North America, South America, Central America, and the West Indies. for 9 percent. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] |
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