Final answer:
Emigration alone does not strongly affect total population numbers; rather, it's one of several components including birth rate, death rate, and immigration that collectively determine the growth rate.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement 'Today, total population numbers are strongly affected by emigration' is indeed false. The growth rate of a population is determined by several factors, including birth rate, death rate, immigration, and emigration. While emigration does reduce the population by individuals leaving an area, it's not the sole factor affecting population numbers. In fact, emigration must be considered alongside immigration, which adds to the population when people move into an area. Populations grow through births and immigration, and decline through deaths and emigration. These four components together frame the dynamics of population changes. For instance, a high birth rate or increased immigration may offset the effects of emigration.
The current world population surpassed 7 billion individuals around 2011-2012, demonstrating an exponential increase in growth rates. However, while the global population continues to rise, certain regions may experience negative growth due to factors like emigration. This illustrates the complexity of population dynamics, where local trends can greatly differ from global patterns. Besides emigration, factors like economic development, urbanization, and climate change can significantly influence migration trends and, subsequently, the size and distribution of populations.