World Population by Year (1950–2026)
How many people were alive in the year you were born? Pick any year from 1950 to today to see the world population, or scroll down for the full year-by-year table and the big milestones in human history.
World population year by year
| Year | World population | Change from previous year |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 8,252,000,000 | +66,000,000 |
| 2025 | 8,186,000,000 | +68,000,000 |
| 2024 | 8,118,000,000 | +73,000,000 |
| 2023 | 8,045,000,000 | +70,000,000 |
| 2022 | 7,975,000,000 | +66,000,000 |
| 2021 | 7,909,000,000 | +68,000,000 |
| 2020 | 7,841,000,000 | +84,815,129 |
| 2019 | 7,756,184,871 | +83,897,694 |
| 2018 | 7,672,287,177 | +82,990,183 |
| 2017 | 7,589,296,993 | +82,092,489 |
| 2016 | 7,507,204,504 | +81,204,504 |
| 2015 | 7,426,000,000 | +90,163,012 |
| 2014 | 7,335,836,988 | +89,068,295 |
| 2013 | 7,246,768,693 | +87,986,869 |
| 2012 | 7,158,781,824 | +86,918,574 |
| 2011 | 7,071,863,250 | +85,863,250 |
| 2010 | 6,986,000,000 | +87,778,307 |
| 2009 | 6,898,221,693 | +86,675,382 |
| 2008 | 6,811,546,311 | +85,586,316 |
| 2007 | 6,725,959,996 | +84,510,933 |
| 2006 | 6,641,449,063 | +83,449,063 |
| 2005 | 6,558,000,000 | +83,920,495 |
| 2004 | 6,474,079,505 | +82,846,593 |
| 2003 | 6,391,232,913 | +81,786,433 |
| 2002 | 6,309,446,480 | +80,739,840 |
| 2001 | 6,228,706,640 | +79,706,640 |
| 2000 | 6,149,000,000 | +83,433,651 |
| 1999 | 6,065,566,349 | +82,301,568 |
| 1998 | 5,983,264,781 | +81,184,847 |
| 1997 | 5,902,079,934 | +80,083,278 |
| 1996 | 5,821,996,656 | +78,996,656 |
| 1995 | 5,743,000,000 | +88,059,399 |
| 1994 | 5,654,940,601 | +86,709,154 |
| 1993 | 5,568,231,447 | +85,379,613 |
| 1992 | 5,482,851,834 | +84,070,458 |
| 1991 | 5,398,781,376 | +82,781,376 |
| 1990 | 5,316,000,000 | +94,070,927 |
| 1989 | 5,221,929,073 | +92,406,266 |
| 1988 | 5,129,522,807 | +90,771,062 |
| 1987 | 5,038,751,746 | +89,164,794 |
| 1986 | 4,949,586,951 | +87,586,951 |
| 1985 | 4,862,000,000 | +86,632,783 |
| 1984 | 4,775,367,217 | +85,089,130 |
| 1983 | 4,690,278,087 | +83,572,983 |
| 1982 | 4,606,705,104 | +82,083,851 |
| 1981 | 4,524,621,253 | +80,621,253 |
| 1980 | 4,444,000,000 | +77,453,171 |
| 1979 | 4,366,546,829 | +76,103,263 |
| 1978 | 4,290,443,566 | +74,776,881 |
| 1977 | 4,215,666,684 | +73,473,617 |
| 1976 | 4,142,193,067 | +72,193,067 |
| 1975 | 4,070,000,000 | +77,927,537 |
| 1974 | 3,992,072,463 | +76,435,472 |
| 1973 | 3,915,636,991 | +74,971,977 |
| 1972 | 3,840,665,014 | +73,536,502 |
| 1971 | 3,767,128,512 | +72,128,512 |
| 1970 | 3,695,000,000 | +74,547,987 |
| 1969 | 3,620,452,013 | +73,043,954 |
| 1968 | 3,547,408,059 | +71,570,265 |
| 1967 | 3,475,837,794 | +70,126,309 |
| 1966 | 3,405,711,485 | +68,711,485 |
| 1965 | 3,337,000,000 | +66,172,896 |
| 1964 | 3,270,827,104 | +64,860,684 |
| 1963 | 3,205,966,420 | +63,574,493 |
| 1962 | 3,142,391,928 | +62,313,807 |
| 1961 | 3,080,078,121 | +61,078,121 |
| 1960 | 3,019,000,000 | +56,689,370 |
| 1959 | 2,962,310,630 | +55,624,884 |
| 1958 | 2,906,685,746 | +54,580,385 |
| 1957 | 2,852,105,361 | +53,555,501 |
| 1956 | 2,798,549,860 | +52,549,860 |
| 1955 | 2,746,000,000 | +51,279,802 |
| 1954 | 2,694,720,198 | +50,322,185 |
| 1953 | 2,644,398,013 | +49,382,450 |
| 1952 | 2,595,015,563 | +48,460,264 |
| 1951 | 2,546,555,299 | +47,555,299 |
| 1950 | 2,499,000,000 | — |
Figures for 1950–2026 are approximate mid-year estimates based on United Nations World Population Prospects, with smoothing between published data points.
Population milestones in history
| Year | World population |
|---|---|
| 10,000 BC | about 5 million |
| 1 AD | about 250–300 million |
| 1000 | about 300 million |
| 1500 | about 500 million |
| 1804 | 1 billion |
| 1927 | 2 billion |
| 1960 | 3 billion |
| 1974 | 4 billion |
| 1987 | 5 billion |
| 1999 | 6 billion |
| 2011 | 7 billion |
| 2022 | 8 billion |
| ~2037 (projected) | 9 billion |
| ~2084 (projected) | peak of about 10.3 billion |
Why the population exploded after 1950
For most of history the human population grew extremely slowly, because almost as many people died each year as were born. It took until around 1804 to reach the first billion. Then improvements in farming, clean water, sanitation, vaccines and antibiotics cut death rates — especially among children — while birth rates stayed high for several more generations. The result was the fastest growth in human history: the population more than tripled between 1950 and 2022, adding a billion people roughly every 12 years.
Why growth is slowing now
Since the late 1960s, birth rates have fallen almost everywhere as families have become smaller. The world still grows by about 70 million people a year, but the growth rate has halved. The United Nations expects the population to peak at around 10.3 billion in the 2080s. Read more in our guides to world population and the world population in 2050, or try the What Number Human Are You? tool.
Frequently asked questions
What was the world population in 2000?
About 6.15 billion people.
What was the world population in 1990?
About 5.32 billion people.
When did the world reach 8 billion people?
The United Nations marked 15 November 2022 as the day the world population reached 8 billion.
How fast is the world population growing now?
About 0.9% a year — roughly 70 million extra people a year. Growth peaked at over 2% a year in the late 1960s and has been slowing ever since.
When will the world population stop growing?
The UN projects the world population will peak at about 10.3 billion in the mid-2080s and then slowly decline.
Last updated: 26 September 2026 · Estimates based on UN World Population Prospects and World Bank data.