What we count
We subtract estimated deaths since the start of the year from births over the same period.
World population growth this year
How much the world population has grown since the start of the year and how net growth is calculated.
Continuous calculation
WORLDPopulation balance this year
82,224,756children born this year
39,490,002people who died this year
8,309,263,082current population
What lies behind this number
The number shows how much world population has changed since 1 January due only to births and deaths.
Why migration is absent
Moving changes national populations but not the number of people on Earth. A person crossing a border neither leaves nor enters the global total.
How Metrilum calculates it
We multiply the difference between the 2026 annual birth and death projections by the elapsed share of the calendar year.
Annual population growth over time
UN data show that absolute global growth peaked earlier and is projected to slow.
Estimate and projection boundary: 1950, 1975 and 2000 are derived from UN historical estimates. 2025 and 2050 are derived from the medium projection.
YearGrowth per yearType
195043,337,048estimate
197573,407,110estimate
200083,518,110estimate
202569,263,192projection
205040,678,560projection
How the number is calculated
The difference between projected births and deaths in 2026 is scaled by elapsed time.
Formula used
G(t) = (B₂₀₂₆ − D₂₀₂₆) × elapsed share of the yearNet growth in 202668,866,160births minus deaths
Average per day188,549people per 24 hours
Calculation interval0.1 sContinuous calculation
Births
Take projected live births in 2026.
Deaths
Subtract projected total deaths in 2026.
Elapsed share
Scale the result by the elapsed part of the year. The counter restarts at the beginning of the next calendar year.
Where the data comes from
Growth is derived from the latest published 2026 births and deaths values in World Population Prospects 2024, checked on 11 August 2026.
Latest published and verified source value
- Publisher
- UN Population Division
- Calculation
- Births minus deaths
- Reference year
- 2026
- Variant
- Medium projection
- Coverage
- Worldwide
- Checked
- 11 August 2026