Key Facts

Key Facts on Population and Consumption

The human population on Earth increases by more than 250,000 people a day, or more than 90 million a year.
The growth of the human population is greater than increases in agricultural productivity around the world.
Most of this growth is in the South. Many developing countries are now doubling their population every 30 years.
Since 1950, the number of people living in cities has tripled to two billion-more than 41 per cent of the global population.
Urban populations in developing countries are expected to continue to increase in size to four billion people by 2025.
A city of one million (of which there are now 250) on a daily average uses approximately 625,000 metric tons of water; 2000 metric tons of food and 9,500 metric tons of fuel. The same city generates on the same day, an average of 500,000 metric tons of waste water, 2000 metric tons of solid wastes and 950 metric tons of air pollution.
Population growth will put great pressure on already overstretched water supplies. Many developing countries are located in arid or semiarid tropics.
The developed countries consume an estimated 75 per cent of all energy used, 79 per cent of all commercial fuels, 85 per cent of all wood products, and 72 per cent of all steel products.
Many countries in the developing world are approaching developed-world standards of consumption and waste generation. Unless both groups of countries adopt more sustainable methods of production and consumption, the planet's carrying capacity will be exceeded.