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Projections have the world population hitting six billion sometime around the middle of next year. Beyond that, it's hard to give you an exact answer. We can tell you that there are approximately 25 more people in the world than there were when you started reading this paragraph. That's because current research indicates that about five people are born every second, while two people pass away, leaving us with a population rate of three new humans per second. To find the current total population (or, actually, the current estimate), you've got several possible sources. The U.S. government keeps pretty good tabs on the numbers at their International Programs Center. There you'll find the World PopClock and the statistic-packed International
Data Base as well as several other reports, estimates, and charts that show where the population has been and where it's going. If you want to find similar information based solely on the American population, check out the U.S. POPClock Projection. It'll give you the current estimated population as well as U.S. birth, death ,and migration rates. Finally, for a nice multimedia exhibit about the rapidly accelerating growth in world population, visit 6 Billion Human Beings from the Musée de l'Homme in Paris. The interactive Shockwave Flash animations do a great job bringing the numbers into focus, from birth and birth control to life expectancy and death.
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