The world's population is increasing at an incredible rate

It is often called population growth or a population explosion, but
how much has the world's population actually increased?

I looked into it and found something surprising.

Humanity is increasing explosively.
It makes sense that the world's
way of being, how it looks, and its systems would change,
so please read on.

Looking back at human history, for most of that time, the population remained surprisingly flat. However, after a certain "revolution," the graph shows a near-vertical surge.

I have summarized the population trends and their background from the birth of Homo sapiens about 300,000 years ago to the present.

Population trends over 300,000 years of human history

300,000 years ago - About several tens of thousands

Hunter-gatherer era. Food was unstable and it was difficult for the population to grow.

10,000 BC - About 5 to 10 million

Agricultural revolution. Settled life began, and food production stabilized.

Around 1 BC - About 200 to 300 million

The emergence of massive empires such as the Roman Empire and the Han Dynasty.

1000 AD - About 300 million

Gradual increase. Repeated fluctuations due to disease and famine.

1800: Approximately 1 billion

The beginning of the Industrial Revolution. Improvements in medicine and hygiene.

1930: Approximately 2 billion

Doubled in just 130 years.

1974: Approximately 4 billion

Increased food production due to chemical fertilizers (Green Revolution).

2024: Approximately 8.1 billion

Population explosion in developing countries and the pinnacle of medical technology.

Why has the population changed so rapidly?

There are three main turning points in population change.

1. Agricultural Revolution (approx. 10,000 years ago - )

In the hunter-gatherer lifestyle before that, it was necessary to search for food while moving, which limited the number of children one could raise. Agriculture and settlement began, making it possible to store food, and it became possible to support many people at once.

2. Industrial Revolution and Public Health (late 18th century - )

The biggest reason the population has exploded since around 1800 is that "people stopped dying."

•Coal and oil energy: Mechanization of agriculture and improvement of transport capacity.

•Medical advancement: Spread of antibiotics and vaccines.

•Hygiene concepts: The development of sewage systems led to a dramatic decrease in infant mortality rates from infectious diseases such as cholera.

3. The Green Revolution (mid-20th century onwards)

From the 1940s to the 1960s, the development of high-yield varieties and the spread of chemical fertilizers and pesticides led to a dramatic increase in global grain production.

This enabled explosive population growth in developing countries such as those in Asia and Africa.

Modern perspective: What will happen from here on?

While there were once concerns about "food shortages due to population explosion," currently many countries are experiencing declining birthrates and aging populations. According to UN projections, the population is expected to peak at around 10 billion by the end of the 21st century (around 2100) and then begin to decline. Although humanity has continued to increase for 300,000 years, we can now say that we are standing at a turning point from an "era of growth" to an

"era of maintenance and decline."