How the world’s population reached 8 billion people - but when will it hit 9 billion?

Global population reaches 8 billion people and is rising

(Picture: Dan Dennison/Getty Images)

The world’s population has reached eight billion people, according to recent UN estimates.

In 2011, humanity passed the seven-billion milestone, which means, over the past 11 years, there are now another one billion people on the planet. This increase is set to hit nine billion in 2037 – 15 years from now.