World population, 1960 to 2024
World population stood at 8.14B in 2024, up 1.0% on the previous period.
The world had 8.14 billion people in 2024, up 1 percent from 8.06 billion in 2023. In 1960, the first year shown, the count was 3.02 billion.
How it is measured
The figures come from the World Bank's World Development Indicators (indicator SP.POP.TOTL): the midyear de facto population, counting all residents regardless of citizenship or legal status. National censuses anchor the series every decade or so; the years between are interpolated with birth, death, and migration data, aligned with the UN World Population Prospects. That is why the line is smooth rather than jagged: it is an estimate series pinned to census benchmarks.
What the curve shows
Population is the denominator under almost every other statistic on this site, which is why demographers watch it as closely as any headline. The world grew roughly 2.7-fold over the window shown; the growth rate, not the level, is where the story usually lives, and flattening growth shows up as the curve bending toward horizontal.
Who is counted?
How can there be a figure for every year?
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