Population & Census Facts

As a writer, I'm always doing research for one project or another. I love the little nuggets of information I find. I guess most writers are like this, and this probably explains why writers are so good at trivia games.

Here are some interesting facts about population. You can think of these the next time you hear something about the census.

10 Fascinating Facts

1. In 5000 B.C., the world population was estimated at 5 million.

2. Today, the world population is approximately 6.76 billion.

3. The world's population has been continuous growing since about 400AD.

4. In the 10th century AD not one city in Europe had more than 400,000 people.

4. Despite a long-term growth trend, there have been periods like the 14th century in Europe where there was probably more death than growth due to the Black Death, or Black Plague.

5. In 1610, the population in the American colonies was 350.

6. In 1790, only 5% of Americans lived in cities.

7. In London, the percentage of children who died before five years of age from 1730-1749 dropped from about 74% to about 31% in 1810-1829.

8. The fastest growth rate periods: during the 1950s for a short period, 1960s and 1970s for a longer period.

9. Since births outnumber deaths, the world's population is expected to reach about 9 billion by the year 2040.

10. The National Population Council estimates that more than 74 billion people have been born and died in the last 500,000 years.

Takeaway Truth

Research not only gives you the facts you need to write accurately, but also it gives you some good conversation fodder.