Final answer:
From 1960 to 2010, the world population increased from approximately 3 billion to 6.8 billion people. This growth was driven by advances in healthcare and agriculture combined with high birth rates in developing countries. Despite a slowing growth rate, the population increased significantly during this period.
Step-by-step explanation:
During the 50 years, the world population underwent significant growth, increasing by several billion people. In 1960, the world's population was approximately 3 billion and by 2010, it had grown to about 6.8 billion. This increase can partly be attributed to advancements in medicine, agriculture, and sanitation, which decreased death rates, especially in developing countries where birth rates remained high.
To understand this change in more detail, we observe that from 1960 to 1975, the population grew by 1 billion in just 15 years. Continuing this trend, another billion was added in the subsequent 14 years (1975-1989), then in 10 years (1989-1999), and then in 12 years (1999-2011). The growth rates have fluctuated, peaking at 2% in the 1960s, which indicated a doubling time for the world's population of 35 years. However, by the 2005-2015 period, the growth rate was predicted to slow to about 1.1%, indicative of a doubling time of 65 years.
Despite the demographic transition and the slowing of growth rates in certain parts of the world, the impact of exponential growth is still a pressing issue, as illustrated by the milestone of reaching 7 billion humans shortly after 2010. The pattern of world population growth displays exponential trends dating back to the start of agricultural societies. It is essential to understand these population dynamics as they have significant implications for global sustainability and the environment.