A população mundial (6, 5 mil milhões) em 2005

"Although the world population increased significantly from 1960 to the present, each successive decade recorded a progressively slower growth, with varying population change in the six continents. Europe had by far the lowest growth rates among the different continents. Furthermore, Europe, Asia and Latin America and the Caribbean recorded progressively slower population growth rates from one decade to the next. Africa initially recorded an increasing growth rate, peaking at an annual average growth of 2.9% in the 1980s, after which the rate of growth fell to an average of 2.3% in the five years to 2005. Northern America and Oceania both recorded a higher average annual growth rate in the 1960s compared with the 1970s, after which the annual average rates of growth were relatively stable. As a result of the lower growth rates, the European share of the world population fell from around one fifth in 1960 to just over one tenth in 2005. The Northern American share also fell, though to a far lesser extent while the share of Oceania remained roughly stable. The share of the other three continents increased, most notably that of Africa which rose from 9.3% in 1960 to 14.2% in 2005. Asia remained the largest continent in population terms, with 3.9 billion persons in 2005, equivalent to some three fifths of the world population (fonte: Eurostat)