The world population is growing at about two per cent a year, or faster than at any other period in man’s history. It only took 12 years for the population to grow from 6 to 7 billion.

This sheer number of people put a huge demand on the earth’s resources. World Population Day on 11 July is an opportunity for us to reflect on this challenge.

One way of celebrating World Population Day is to gain knowledge about the population of the world. Do this quiz and see how well you know the facts on the world’s people.

The correct answers appear below.

Questions

1. What is the average life expectancy of the world’s population?
A. 70 years
B. 60 years
C. 50 years

2. On average, men aged 25 to 34 have spent eight years at school. What is the average for women of the same age group?
A. Three years
B. Five years
C. Seven years

3. How many women around the world want but do not have access to modern, effective contraception?
A. 0
B. 100 000
C. 215 million
D. 500 million

4. By how many people does the world population grow each year?
A. 11 million
B. 25 million
C. 45 million
D. 85 million
E. 160 million

5. Which has NOT been a major cause of the population explosion?
A. An increase in birth rates
B. Modern preventive medicine
C. Improved sanitation
D. Lower infant mortality
E. Longer life expectancy

6. What percentage of the world’s population lives on less than R26 ($2) per day?
A. 26%
B. 15%
C. 48%
D. 35%

7. The world’s population impacts…
A. The climate
B. Natural resources
C. Fertility, migration and mortality rates
D. All of the above

8. Developed nations consume resources at a rate that is __ times greater than developing countries?
A. 5
B. 26
C. 32
D. 55

9. How many people in the world lack access to electricity?
A. 100 million
B. 500 million
C. 1 billion
D. 2 billion

10. 101 million children lack access to education. What percentage of these are girls?
A. 20%
B. 30%
C. 40%
D. 50%

 

Answers

1. C. 50 years
2. C. Seven years
3. C. 215 million
4. D. 85 million
5. A. An increase in birth rates
6. D. 35%
7. D. All of the above
8. C. 32
9. B. 500 million
10. D. 50%

 

Sources
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/norm-schriever/25-facts-for-the-united-n_b_10694424.html
https://www.compassion.com/poverty/population.htm
https://www.proprofs.com/quiz-school/story.php?title=world-population-day-2011