How many people are born and how many people die every minute?

Answer:

According to the Population Reference Bureau's "2010 World Population Data Sheet" (28-Jul-2010 - see link below), 4.45 people are born every second worldwide, on the average, and 1.8 people die every second.

Another way to look at it is:

• Per minute: 267 born, 108 die, (net population increase: 159)
• Per day: 384 thousand born, 156 thousand die, (net increase 229 thousand)
• Per year: 140.4 million born, 56.7 million die, (net increase 83.6 million)
  

Many nations are looking at a shrinking number of worker populations (ages 15-64), putting at risk pensions and long-term health programs.

In 2010, the world's total population rose to 6.9 billion people. Almost 50% of the increase is in developing countries. Comparing two countries, such as Germany and Ethiopia highlights the issue. They both have approximately the same number of people today; however, Ethiopia is currently expected to see its 85 million grow to 174 million by 2050. Germany's population is expected to shrink to 72 million (from about 82 million) over the same time frame. The reason for these big contrast is lifetime births per woman. Ethiopia's fertility rate of 5.4 is 400% more than Germany's 1.3.

Other interesting highlights of the report (see below):

• The global economic recession seems to be causing reduced birth rates in some developed countries, such as the U.S. and Spain-- and decelerated growths where birth rates had climbed (e.g. Russia, Norway).
• Africa's population is on a path to doubling by the year 2050 to 2,000,000,000 people, although this number might even be higher, if birth rates do not decrease more quickly. Africa's current fertility rate per woman is 4.7 children.
• Worldwide, 40% (2,700,000,000), do not have a suitable sanitation facility, most of whom reside in rural parts of developing nations.