Less than three months before the dawn of the 21st century , planet Earth welcomed its 6 billionth inhabitant . Shortly after midnight in Sarajevo , Bosnia , Fatima Nevic impart birth to a historic 8 - Irish pound boy . The United Nations Population Fund designated this October Tuesday as the rough day that the domain ’s 6 billionth child would be bear , and the Bosnian baby was greeted by U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan and officially recognized as the special one . The UNFPA proclaimed it " The Day of 6 Billion , " or " D6B. " While the occasion was only approximate , it get worldwide discussion concerning population ontogenesis and the staggering predictions for the hereafter .
The Day of 6 Billion came only 80 solar day before the year 2000 , allow for first-class comparisons to preceding population . In only 40 years , the worldly concern population had doubled . In 100 years , it had quadrupled . In only 12 year , it had increased by one billion . medial projections for population growth estimated that by the year 2050 , the tally would top 9 billion , with an increase of around 77 million citizenry per year . UNFPA statistics put out in September 1999 also stated that the child had a less than 1 in 10 chance of being assume into " relative prosperity , " and a 3 in 10 opportunity of being born into " extreme poverty . "
Critics manoeuvre to alarming movement in population outgrowth that indicated the globe was not quick for a 50 pct population step-up in the half century to hail . The 30 percent estimated chance that the 6 billionth kid would come from an necessitous class reflected scratchy global statistic . While growth had stop on the dirt of developed countries , it persist in in the underdeveloped ; the universe was increasing in the places that could least give it . Nations that had difficulty provide food and sanitation in the 20th century would bump it even hard with the grow numbers , they say . In a world where the spread between the rich and pathetic was greater than ever , ( the plenteous 20 percent of humanness was said to have 82 times the income of the pathetic 20 pct ) , the universe increase was bottom - heavy .
Others chose to look at the positive that came with the milestone , arguing that as the population had increased , so too did the timber of life . A universe increment also mean an aging population , and an aging universe was the product of lower child mortality rate . An emphasis on didactics lead to low-spirited fertility rates , particularly in developed countries , where fewer children often mean few health problems for class . fecundity rates were down from the 1960s on all continents , though the decrement was sharper on continents such as North America and Asia than in Africa . Many attributed this to progress and education in procreative rightfield , peculiarly in a woman ’s right wing to choose if and when she has children . Death rates were also lower , thanks to good wellness care and aliment . Despite the disagreements in population statistics , everyone agreed that resolve social , economic and environmental issue would be crucial with universe increase into the new century . And , for those of you hop to lead to the 7 one-billionth child ? You still have time : That lucky infant is n’t bear to be born until around 2015 .
