How Fast Are We Growing? Until about 500 years ago, the world’s human population remained fairly stable. Then, as advances in medicine, agriculture, and technology occurred, the human population began increasing rapidly. Today, the world’s human population is more than 7.8 billion people, and it continues to increase.

The human population is increasing at a rate of 1.13 percent each year. If it continues to grow at this rate, what effect might this increase have on the environment and on people?