1. Population growth

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Important

Wars, epidemics and migration

• Wars: wars affect whole peoples, causing very high death rates. The Mongolian invasions of Asia and Europe (1206–1324) resulted in more than 30 million deaths (8% of world population at that time).
• Epidemics: epidemics have caused even more deaths than wars have. The smallpox epidemic that the Spanish Conquistadors brought to the Americas in the 16th century caused the death of more than two-thirds of the indigenous population.
• Migration: large-scale migration, such as the Germanic invasion of the Roman Empire in the 4th and 5th centuries, transformed the settlement of the European continent.

1.1. World population before the 19^th century

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Climate changes around 10 000 years ago led to what is known as the Neolithic Revolution. As temperatures increased and glaciers melted, agriculture developed and populations around the world became more sedentary. As a result, towns and cities were established.

At first, world population grew slowly. It was dependent on the resources available, the quality of the soil for farming, and climate factors such as temperature and precipitation. Wars, epidemics and large-scale migration also either limited or promoted population growth.

In the first century A.D. the world population was about 256 million. It increased steadily until the Black Death of 1342 decimated the European population. However, the population of Africa continued to increase until the 17th century, when the slave trade stopped this growth. By the mid-17th century, world population surpassed 500 million, and in 1800 it reached 900 million.

1.2. World population during the Modern Age

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At the beginning of this period, world population grew more rapidly because of higher birth rates and lower death rates. The Industrial Revolution, which began in Great Britain during the 18th century, was the main reason for this sharp increase. It led to a series of important demographic, economic and social changes. Factories needed large numbers of workers, and abundant supplies of raw materials and energy. As a result, large industrial cities appeared, particularly in areas that had coal deposits.

Between 1800 and 1900 world population virtually doubled. In 1950 it reached 2500 million, despite the deaths that resulted from the First and Second World Wars (70 million people) and the Spanish flu pandemic (50–100 million people).

Between 1950 and 1990 world population doubled again, mostly due to growth in Africa, Asia and South America. By the year 2000, it was more than 6000 million, although its growth began to slow down to 70-80 million per year. In 2015 world population exceeded 7300 million. By the year 2050 there will probably be 9600 million people living on the planet.

1.3. The European population

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The European population experienced its biggest fluctuations during Ancient History and the Middle Ages. Today, it is at its most stable. Here is a summary of the main changes that have taken place.

• Ancient History and the Middle Ages: wars and epidemics slowed down population growth. Then between 1000 and 1340 an unusually warm period caused the population to increase. However, the Black Death decimated the population and Europe took 250 years to recover.
• The Early Modern Age: the European population experienced a slight growth. It was slowed down by plagues and epidemics, such as the 18th-century smallpox epidemic, and by wars.
• The Modern Age: the Industrial Revolution caused a big increase in population growth, particularly in Great Britain, Germany and France. However, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, economic and political problems caused many Europeans to emigrate to the Americas. The two world wars during this period were also responsible for large numbers of deaths.
• The 21st century: since the end of the 20th century, population growth in Europe has stagnated, although immigration has helped to offset low European birth rates and the general ageing of the population.