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Dear Dad,
When you and your three siblings reunite next month, I expect you'll reminisce about your families and reflect on some of the changes that have occurred in the world during your life. Because I have worked in the field of population growth and reproductive health for most of my professional career, I'd like to share some simple statistics with you.
In 1905, the year of your birth, the world's population was 1.7 billion and growing by about 9 million per year. Today, in 1985, the world's population is 4.8 billion and growing by 78 million per year. Actuarial tables put your current life expectancy at 86 years, which suggests you will live to 1991; the world population then will total 5.4 billion and be growing yearly by 92 million. If you live to celebrate your 100th birthday, in 2005, the world population is expected to reach 6.6 billion—