<P> World population has experienced continuous growth since the end of the Great Famine of 1315--17 and the Black Death in 1350, when it was near 370 million . The highest population growth rates--global population increases above 1.8% per year--occurred between 1955 and 1975, peaking to 2.06% between 1965 and 1970 . The growth rate has declined to 1.18% between 2010 and 2015 and is projected to decline further in the course of the 21st century . </P> <P> Total annual births were highest in the late 1980s at about 139 million, and as of 2011 were expected to remain essentially constant at a level of 135 million, while deaths numbered 56 million per year and were expected to increase to 80 million per year by 2040 . The median age of the world's population was estimated to be 30.4 years in 2018 . </P> <Table> <Tr> <Th_colspan="5"> World population (millions, UN estimates) </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> #</Th> <Th> Top ten most populous countries </Th> <Th> 2000 </Th> <Th> 2015 </Th> <Th> 2030 * </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> China * </Td> <Td> 1,270 </Td> <Td> 1,376 </Td> <Td> 1,416 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> India </Td> <Td> 1,053 </Td> <Td> 1,311 </Td> <Td> 1,528 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> United States </Td> <Td> 283 </Td> <Td> 322 </Td> <Td> 356 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> Indonesia </Td> <Td> 212 </Td> <Td> 258 </Td> <Td> 295 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 5 </Td> <Td> Brazil </Td> <Td> 176 </Td> <Td> 208 </Td> <Td> 229 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 6 </Td> <Td> Pakistan </Td> <Td> 138 </Td> <Td> 189 </Td> <Td> 245 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 7 </Td> <Td> Nigeria </Td> <Td> 123 </Td> <Td> 182 </Td> <Td> 263 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 8 </Td> <Td> Bangladesh </Td> <Td> 131 </Td> <Td> 161 </Td> <Td> 186 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 9 </Td> <Td> Russia </Td> <Td> 146 </Td> <Td> 146 </Td> <Td> 149 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 10 </Td> <Td> Mexico </Td> <Td> 103 </Td> <Td> 127 </Td> <Td> 148 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> World total </Td> <Td> 6,127 </Td> <Td> 7,349 </Td> <Td> 8,501 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="5"> Notes: <Ul> <Li> China = excludes Hong Kong and Macau </Li> <Li> 2030 = Medium variant </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Th_colspan="5"> World population (millions, UN estimates) </Th> </Tr>

As of the year 2000 the human population was approximately
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