Scientists Estimate 117 Billion Humans Have Ever Lived on Earth — And You’re One of the 7% Alive Right Now

There are currently 8 billion humans alive today, according to most studies. However, this is an estimate, and the actual number is likely higher due to the difficulties in data collection across various countries. If there are that many today, have you ever wondered just how many more humans have ever existed on Earth since the dawn of our time?

The short answer is that about 105 to 117 billion people existed, since Homo Sapiens, the modern human species have emerged roughly 200,000 to 300,000 years ago. Which means if you calculate it, the current living humans account for nearly 7% of all humans who have lived. Now, let’s find out just how scientists were able to come up with those numbers.

How That Number Was Calculated

The Population Reference Bureau (PRB) and other demographers have estimated this number from historical data across different periods. From the current modern era to Medieval, Ancient, Neolithic, and Paleolithic, scientists have estimated their population size, based on the environments and survival capabilities of those humans.

The medieval era had about 200 to 500 million people, the Neolithic era had about 5 to 100 million, and the Paleolithic era had 10,000 to 100,000. Based on their birth rates and estimated years of existence, scientists were able to come up with the estimated number after adding everything, concluding that there were about 105 to 117 billion people who have ever lived on this planet.

All of these numbers are estimates and were mentioned to showcase in the simplest way how scientists calculate this approximation. If you want to know more about the scientific process and find out the accurate numbers, you can head to this source.

Read more: PRB.com | Wikipedia

Why the 7% Figure Matters

117 Billion Humans Have Ever Been Born

With about 8 billion people currently alive on Earth, we make up roughly 6.8–7% of all humans who have ever lived. That is a big percentage, especially when we consider just how few the human population was for most of prehistory.

This percentage should remind us just how every living person is part of a much larger human story, standing on the shoulders of billions who came before.

We should not take our time for granted, and should do our best to preserve our knowledge to pass down to the billions more that will exist after us, and maybe someday, the total number of human beings that have existed could reach 1 trillion.

The Math Behind the Estimates

Since researchers only relied on their archaeological clues, genetic studies, and environmental assumptions, the calculations are heavily speculative, but regardless, they follow the rules of science.

The model that they used assumed that birth rates were around 80 births per 1,000 people during much of the prehistoric era. For the recent decades and centuries, this number is believed to be accurate, but less so for periods like 190,000–10,000 BCE, where our ancestors have not yet begun recording history.

Read more: Wikipedia

Why This Snapshot Matters Today

So, why does this number matter today? Currently, our global population across almost all developed countries is declining. These have significant effects on our society, economy, and ultimately on the future of humanity.

Most world leaders are now trying to solve this problem, but whether they succeed or not, the most important thing right now is to make our lives count, and not just for the sake of having billions of people in our economy.

This perspective on how many human beings have existed before us to lay down the path to the current modern era should hopefully instill gratitude and inspire us to make our billions matter. It means to try to make the world a better place than when we found it, for the current human beings, our children, their children, and the future of our civilization.

8 Billion People Are Alive, BUT What About '117 Billion DEAD'? #shorts

Author's Final Thoughts

About 117 billion people have walked this planet, and you are among the 7% who are alive today. But with the declining rate of births, the current 8 billion number will not hold, or increase.

These numbers should remind us of a humbling realization that each life mattered, as they both represent legacy and potential, a bridge that connects the past and the future.

Our collective story will not end here, just like it did not for our ancestors, who passed it on to us. We should do the same and try our best to embrace this rare moment, but use it wisely, and then, after our time, entrust the human civilization and its history to the next generation.

Read more: Before Fire or Tools, Humans Outran Their Prey to Stay Alive — A Survival Skill Known as Persistence Hunting

References & Further Reading

Kaneda, T., & Haub, C. (2022). How many people have ever lived on Earth? Population Reference Bureau. https://www.prb.org/articles/how-many-people-have-ever-lived-on-earth/

United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. (2024). World Population Prospects 2024. https://population.un.org/wpp/

Bischoff, M. (2025). How many people have ever lived on Earth? Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-many-people-have-ever-lived-on-earth/

Ritchie, H. (2024). UN World Population Prospects: 2024 revision — what changed? Our World in Data. https://ourworldindata.org/un-population-2024-revision