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The world population is expected to hit 8 billion on Tuesday, a monumental milestone in human history, just 11 years after the population hit 7 billion.

The population has grown rapidly for almost all of humanity's existence. Between 1 C.E. and 1650, the population grew a measly 200 million, however, the world is now expected to grow another half a billion by 2030. The growth is attributed to the increased life expectancy due to medical advancements. The U.N. predicts that the population will peak at around 10.7 billion in the 2080s. But, population growth is the slowest its been since 1950, and was even below 1 percent in 2020, the U.N. reports.

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Devika Rao, The Week US

 Devika Rao has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022, covering science, the environment, climate and business. She previously worked as a policy associate for a nonprofit organization advocating for environmental action from a business perspective.