The map below (compiled from statistics from the CIA's World Factbook and the World Bank) shows some of the countries with particularly notable population statistics. Click on the pin icons for the facts and figures:
View Population map in a larger map
World Population Day is organised by the Governing Council of the United Nations Development Programme every July 11th.
Today, it's estimated the world is home to over 7.09 billion people. It's an almost impossible to comprehend figure, especially since Ireland only accounts for 0.066% of that figure. As the amount of people on the planet rises ever higher, countless concerns for the future must be considered.
How will we feed all these people? Where will they live? How do we support an ageing population? Can the planet realistically support all these people (given the amount of inequality in the world today, it seems unlikely)? World Population Day is just one attempt to get us asking these questions and starting to look for answers.
