How many people have passed away in the last 5,000 years of Earth’s history?

Response:

Estimating the number of people who have passed away over the last 5,000 years is highly speculative, as accurate records only exist for a fraction of that time. However, researchers have made estimates based on historical population data and demographic models.

1. Population Growth Over Time:

• Around 3000 BCE (approximately 5,000 years ago), the world population is estimated to have been around 14 million people.
• By 1 CE, the population may have reached about 300 million.
• Fast forward to 1800 CE, the population was around 1 billion.
• Today (2023), the global population is over 8 billion.

1. Estimating Deaths:

• If we take the average global population over these years and apply an average life expectancy, we can estimate rates of deaths.
• For simplicity, let’s consider a rough averaged global population of about 3 billion people over this period, which is a simplification as populations were much lower in earlier periods.
• With an average life expectancy of around 30 years in most of that timeframe (decreasing in recent centuries), you could estimate that hundreds of billions of people have died.

1. Rough Estimate:

• A rough estimate suggests that around 100 billion to 115 billion people have likely lived and died over the last 5,000 years.

In summary, while exact numbers are elusive due to the lack of comprehensive historical records, estimates suggest that approximately 100 billion to 115 billion people have passed away during this time span.

My mind boggles!