World Population to Hit 7 Billion in 2011

Be prepared, planet Earth is getting more and more crowded!

The world's populations is projected to hit 7 billion in 2011, according to a report from the Population Reference Bureau. The number could reach as much as 9.4 billion by 2050, aligning with the recent UN estimated figure of about 9.1 million.

Just 12 years after reaching 6 billion in 1999, global population will continue to have a staggering growth of 97% over the next 40 years, with the vast majority of the growth happening in developing countries. Also, the growth of the world's youth population - ages between 15 to 24 - will be concentrated in Africa and Asia.

High fertility rates in developing countries is one main cause of the rapid growth. In Africa, women often give birth to 6 or 7 children over a lifetime, comparing to two children in the United States and 1.5 in Canada.

Some interesting highlights from the report:

• India, with its population projected to reach 1.7 billion by 2050, is expected to overtake China as the world's most populous country.
• The birth rate among US teenagers is twice the average for all developed nations.
• One in five international migrants (about 38-million people) settle in the U.S.
• One in five people in the world are between 15 and 24 years old. The world's median age is 28.9.
• Half the world lives in poverty with less than the equivalent of US $2 per day, and hundreds of millions of people live only barely above that level.