What 11 billion people means for...

What 11 Billion People Mean for …

News
By published
A crowd crosses a street
A crowd of people crosses a street in Tokyo, Japan. (Image credit: Crowd image via Shutterstock.)

Eleven billion people. That's the number of humans the United Nations estimates could call Earth home by the end of this century — or more than 4 billion people than exist today. That's a staggering amount compared to the mere 2.5 billion people alive in 1950.

Those 11 billion people stand to stamp an enormous footprint onto the Earth: All of them must eat and have enough drinking water; they all generate waste and potentially help to spread disease; they could affect the planet's already changing climate and how Earth's other species fare; they could even affect whether humans become an interplanetary species.

In a weeklong series, LiveScience is taking a look at the impacts a population of 11 billion people might have on our home planet. Our reporting will transport you to America's heartland farms, Hong Kong's rapidly-filling landfills, lemur territory within the jungles of Madagascar, and many other places where the pressures of the world's burgeoning population are increasingly being felt, and finally to Mars, to where we may one day expand.

Each day, we'll publish a new story, along with accompanying features, according to the schedule below. So check back each day to find out how world population affects Earth and humanity's ability to live on it.

Tuesday, Nov. 19

What 11 Billion People Mean for Food Security

What 11 Billion People Mean for the Planet

6 Ways to Feed 11 Billion People

Can the World Feed 11 Billion People? (Infographic)

Wednesday, Nov. 20

What 11 Billion People Mean for Water Scarcity

5 Ways We Waste Water

Thursday, Nov. 21

What 11 Billion People Mean for Climate Change

5 Places Already Feeling the Effects of Climate Change

Friday, Nov. 22

What 11 Billion People Mean for Earth's Animals

7 Iconic Animals Humans Are Driving to Extinction

Monday, Nov. 25

What 11 Billion People Mean for Disease Outbreaks

5 Scariest Outbreaks of the Past Century

Tuesday, Nov. 26

What 11 Billion People Mean for Sanitation

5 Ways Toilets Change the World

Managing the World's Waste (Infographic)

Wednesday, Nov. 27

What 11 Billion People Mean for Space Travel

Red Planet or Bust: 5 Manned Mars Mission Ideas

Live Science Staff
Live Science Staff
For the science geek in everyone, Live Science offers a fascinating window into the natural and technological world, delivering comprehensive and compelling news and analysis on everything from dinosaur discoveries, archaeological finds and amazing animals to health, innovation and wearable technology. We aim to empower and inspire our readers with the tools needed to understand the world and appreciate its everyday awe.