Data compiled in 2011 indicated that children younger than age 14 made up more than 25 percent of the world’s population — more than 1.8 billion children out of almost 7 billion people. Of the children who live in developing countries, it is estimated that about one-third live without the benefit of adequate shelter, one-fifth don't have access to safe drinking water, and one-seventh have no access to basic health services.
More facts about the world’s population:
- Estimates indicate that around the year 2050, adults older than 60 will outnumber children 14 and younger for the first time in recorded history.
- The estimated birth rate for the world’s population was 19.15 births per 1,000 as of 2011. This would mean that an average of 252 births occurred in the world during any given minute.
- Mortality rates are lower than current birth rates. The death rate for the world’s population was 8.12 deaths per 1,000 as of 2011. That translates into an average of 107 deaths per minute.
