On to 4 Billion

By the end of 1961, the world's population will be more than 3 billion, reported the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) last week.

The population of the world at the time of Christ was estimated at about 200 million. For 1,800 years, through plagues, wars and voyages of exploration, it remained roughly steady. The population explosion began some time in the middle of the 19th century, and with the improvement of medical care and higher food production, has been accelerating ever since. World population passed the 2 billion mark in 1930, thus has increased by 50% in only 30 years.

The rate of population growth is still rising. ECOSOC estimates that it will soon reach 2% a year, or double the rate of the years just before World War II. This means a population increase of roughly 50 million a year. At this rate, the world will have 4 billion people by 1980.

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