World population explained to kids

World population refers to the total number of living humans on Earth. As of 2019, the world population was estimated at 7.7 billion people. The United Nations estimates that the world population will reach 9.8 billion by 2050. The world's population has been growing rapidly since the end of the Great Famine of 1315-1317. The Black Death of 1348-1350 killed about 30% of Europe's population. However, the world population continued to grow after these disasters. The world's population reached one billion for the first time in 1804. It took 123 years to reach two billion in 1927. The third billion was reached in 1960, just 33 years later. It took only 14 years to reach four billion in 1974. The fifth billion was reached in 1987, just 13 years later. The sixth billion was reached in 1999, just 12 years later. The world's population is now growing at a rate of more than 1% per year. The world's population is unevenly distributed. The majority of the world's population (about 60%) lives in Asia. Africa is the second most populous continent, with about 16% of the world's population. Europe is the third most populous continent, with about 11% of the world's population. North America is the fourth most populous continent, with about 9% of the world's population. South America is the fifth most populous continent, with about 6% of the world's population. Oceania is the smallest continent, with about 3% of the world's population. The world's population is also unevenly distributed within continents. The majority of Asia's population (about 60%) lives in China. India is the second most populous country in Asia, with about 17% of Asia's population. Indonesia is the third most populous country in Asia, with about 4% of Asia's population. The United States is the fourth most populous country in the world, with about 4% of the world's population. Brazil is the fifth most populous country in the world, with about 3% of the world's population.