NEW : World population could surpass 15 billion by the end of the century , the U.N. says . In 1927 , the world 's population was 2 billion . The UN predicts that it will reach 7 - 8 billion in 2050 and 10 - 12 billion people around 2100. But there are far more women than there were in the 1960s . Africa 's population is expected to more than triple this century .
NEW : World population could surpass 15 billion by the end of the century , the U.N. says . In 1927 , the world 's population was 2 billion . The UN predicts that it will reach 7 - 8 billion in 2050 and 10 - 12 billion people around 2100. Africa 's population is expected to more than triple this century .