The World of

As Earths population hits seven billion in 2011, the percentage of people with a decent
standard of living is higher than it has ever been. Inequality still abounds: Two percent

Seven Billion
National Geographic Society
of the population owns 50 percent of the wealth. But the gap between the worlds
John M. Fahey, Jr., Chairman and CEO
poorest and richest is now filled by a broad middle-income group that scarcely existed
Timothy T. Kelly, President
Chris Johns, Editor in Chief on a global scale 50 years ago. More children live to be adults, and fewer adults die of
William E. McNulty, Director of Maps,
National Geographic Magazine preventable diseases. The birthrate is falling. Yet before the era of explosive population
supplement to national geographic, march 2011
design: david whitmore graphics: john
growth ends by 2050, Earth will hold more than nine billion people. The challenge: How
grimwade graphics research: kaitlin
m. yarnall text: jane vessels editorial
research: maureen J. flynn, julie a. ibinson,
to share and sustain the planet while lifting even more people into a better life.
david A. lande production: lawson parker
graphics sources: population reference
bureau, united nations, world bank
consultants: carl haub, population reference
bureau; hans rosling, gapminder
map data: oak ridge national laboratory
landscan 2009 (population density)

GREENLAND

S I B E R I A

Moscow
Paris

E U R O P E
N O R T H A S I A
A M E R I C A Istanbul G O B I
Beijing
New York
Tokyo
North
Los Angeles H China
Cairo I M saka
Plain
A Shanghai
L A
Delhi Y A
Nile Ganges
River Plain
Karachi
S A H A R A
Mexico City Dhaka
Mumbai
(Bombay) Kolkata
A F R I C A (Calcutta)
Manila

Lagos

A M A Z O N

B A S I N

S O U T H
A M E R I C A

Rio de Janeiro
So Paulo A U S T R A L I A
City with population
of 10 million or more

0 mi 1000
Buenos Aires
0 km 1000

Where and how we live LOW INCOME LEVEL

$995 or less a year
LOWER MIDDLE
$996 to $3,945
UPPER MIDDLE
$3,946 to $12,195
HIGH
$12,196 or more
The map shows population density; the brightest points are
the highest densities. Each country is colored according to its 100 1,000 10,000 100 1,000 10,000 100 1,000 10,000 100 1,000 10,000
People per square mile People per square mile People per square mile People per square mile
average annual gross national income per capita, using catego-
ries established by the World Bank (key at right). Some nations
like economic powerhouses China and Indiahave an especially
wide range of incomes. But as the two most populous countries,
both are lower middle class when income is averaged per capita.
1 billion 4 billion 1 billion 1 billion

Population
Most future population growth will happen in the less developed countries,
where birthrates remain highest.

Male Male Male Male

Life expectancy at birth 58 66 68 77
Improved health care and nutrition have raised life expectancy from a global
average of 52 years in 1960 to 69 years today.
60 70 75 83
Female Female Female Female

Deaths under age five (per 1,000 live births)

Worldwide there has been remarkable improvement. Since 1960, the number 120 60 24 7
of children who die before age five has fallen by more than half.

Access to improved sanitation (percent)

The UN defines this as access to toiletseven simple pit toiletsthat keep 35 50 84 99
excrement away from humans, animals, and insects.

Deaths caused by infectious disease (percent)

The top five causes of death by infectious disease are acute respiratory 36 14 11 7
infections (such as pneumonia), HIV/AIDS, diarrhea, TB, and malaria.

Years of education 7.9 10.3 13.8 14.5

Increases in education affect not only economic development but population:
The more education a woman receives, the fewer children she is likely to bear.

Literacy rate (percent)

Global literacy is 82 percent. But for those who live where printed materials, 66 80 93 98
even signs or product boxes, are rare, reading is a use it or lose it skill.

Fertility rate (children per woman)

In most of the world, the fertility rate has fallen. Among the reasons: decline in 4 3 2 2
infant mortality, economic improvements, and education of women.

Rate of natural population increase (percent)

A countrys annual natural growth rate is measured by subtracting the number 2.27 1.27 0.96 0.39
of deaths from the number of births. It does not include migration, in or out.

Net migration rate (per 1,000 people)

More than 200 million peopleover 3 percent of the worlds populationlive
Out -0.58 Out -0.36 Out - 0.55 In 2.57
outside the country in which they were born.

Urban population (percent)

As of 2008, the worlds population has shifted from mainly rural to more than 27 41 74 78
50 percent urban. Most urbanites live in cities of fewer than 500,000 people.

Phone subscriptions (per 100 people) Telephones Cell phones Telephones Cell phones Telephones Cell phones Telephones Cell phones
Cell phone use has exploded in developing countries, leapfrogging over the
more expensive infrastructure needed for hardwired phone lines. 1 22 14 47 22 92 46 106

Internet users (per 100 people)

Most of the world accesses the Internet through computers shared in 2.3 13.7 29.9 68.3
libraries, offices, or Internet cafs.

Personal computers (per 100 people)

Computers are still a luxury for most of the world because of cost and lack 1.2 4.3 11.9 60.4
of infrastructure that delivers reliable electricity and Internet connections.

Cars (per 1,000 people)

Perhaps the greatest symbol of rising income status, cars are also a leading 5.8 20.3 125.2 435.1
source of CO2 emissions. In India, sales have quadrupled since 1998.

Carbon dioxide emissions (per capita, in metric tons)

Energy demand, largely for fossil fuels, continues to rise. China has surpassed the
1 3 5 13
U.S. in total CO2 emissions, but, per capita, U.S. emissions are four times higher.

Data for each category above were first compiled for all countries in each income level.
The data were then averaged, accounting for differences in population.