The human race is set to ring in the new year with a milestone: at midnight on January 1st, 2024, the world’s population will officially surpass 8 billion, according to figures released by the US Census Bureau on Thursday.
This staggering number marks a gain of over 75 million people in just one year, with the global population clock ticking at a near-constant rate of 4.3 births and 2 deaths every second. While the growth rate has slowed slightly compared to previous years, hovering just under 1%, the sheer magnitude of the increase highlights the ever-expanding human footprint on the planet. The projected population on January 1, 2024, is 8,019,876,189, an increase of 75,162,541 from New Year’s Day 2023.