# \# People on Earth now \> # People on Earth Ever? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 11, 2003, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-on-earth-now-people-on-earth-ever/194425 "2003-08-11T17:05:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wolfian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7ea924/32.png) [@Wolfian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolfian)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-on-earth-now-people-on-earth-ever/194425/1 "2003-08-11T17:05:15Z")
I have heard that the number of people living on Earth at this moment is greater than the number of people that have ever lived on Earth. This sounds like b.s., but I thought I’d get some more informed opinions from you guys. ---
**Author:** ![Surreal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-on-earth-now-people-on-earth-ever/194425/2 "2003-08-11T17:43:18Z")
Sorry I can’t find it online, but several years ago Marilyn Vos Savant answered this question in her weekly column. I believe she stated that the total number of people who have died was around 80 billion, with the current population only around 6 billion. ---
**Author:** ![Surreal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-on-earth-now-people-on-earth-ever/194425/3 "2003-08-11T17:52:13Z")
Here we go. This cite says 106.5 billion people have lived on Earth- [http://www.prb.org/Content/ContentGroups/PTarticle/0ct-Dec02/How\_Many\_People\_Have\_Ever\_Lived\_on\_Earth\_.htm](http://www.prb.org/Content/ContentGroups/PTarticle/0ct-Dec02/How_Many_People_Have_Ever_Lived_on_Earth_.htm) ---
**Author:** ![biqu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7feea3/32.png) [@biqu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/biqu)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-on-earth-now-people-on-earth-ever/194425/4 "2003-08-11T17:56:32Z")
[Recent related thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=203197) ---
**Author:** ![bdgr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a87d85/32.png) [@bdgr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bdgr)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-on-earth-now-people-on-earth-ever/194425/5 "2003-08-11T18:13:55Z")
Savant? Heretic The master speaks [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2\_085.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_085.html) ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-on-earth-now-people-on-earth-ever/194425/6 "2003-08-11T18:15:49Z")
No. 6 Billion now, 70-120 Billion ever so \<10% ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-on-earth-now-people-on-earth-ever/194425/7 "2003-08-11T20:13:57Z")
Besides if X people now exist there must have been Y people before right? So it’s impossible for X \> X+Y. No you can’t use negative numbers, the phrase “Waste of space” isn’t literal. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Duderdude2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cdc98d/32.png) [@Duderdude2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duderdude2)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-on-earth-now-people-on-earth-ever/194425/8 "2003-08-11T20:41:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bdgr \* > \*\*Savant? Heretic > \*\* Hey, cut her some slack. At least she actually exists as an individual. ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-on-earth-now-people-on-earth-ever/194425/9 "2003-08-11T22:17:36Z")
Obviously, the number of people that have ever lived includes the people currently living, so the answer to your question is, no. ---
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-on-earth-now-people-on-earth-ever/194425/10 "2003-08-11T23:24:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Duderdude2 \* > \*\*Hey, cut her some slack. At least she actually exists as an individual. \*\* What are you implying sir? Answer carefully lest ye incur the wrath of the boardsketeers.