Status/size of world population
- World Clock
- Worldmapper view of the world and population who live on less that $1/day to over $200/day
Historical World Population Growth & Demographic Transition
Importance of Age Pyramids
A population pyramid, also called an age pyramid or age picture diagram, is a graphical illustration that shows the distribution of various age groups in a population (typically that of a country or region of the world), which forms the shape of a pyramid when the population is growing.[1] It is also used in ecology to determine the overall age distribution of a population; an indication of the reproductive capabilities and likelihood of the continuation of a species. (from Wikipedia)A clearer view of age of pyramid for the USA


Geography matters because where populations increase and where they decline is highly relevant for finding solutions that provide a better future for all of humanity. While we are already producing enough food for 10 billion people, as shown in a study published in Nature, we do not manage to distribute this fairly so that hunger is a persisting problem. A population of 9, 10 or even 11 billion does not have to be a disaster if humanity makes more effort to minimise its environmental impact while providing a sustainable basis for how many people there are in the world.Meanwhile, here's an animation of the world sized by people living on less than $1/day to those earning over $200/day from Worldmapper (© Copyright 2006 SASI Group (University of Sheffield) and Mark Newman (University of Michigan)). (note that the animation below is in Flash)