Question 1: It’s World Population Day! We’re in Gangi, south of Palermo. Which country are we in?
- Italy
- Greece
- Finland
Correct Answer: Italy
Fact: Gangi is on the Italian island of Sicily and the current settlement dates back to 1300. It had about 16,000 residents in the 1950s, but now it is home to about 6,500 people. It is among Italian villages offering up abandoned homes to those who commit to restoring them, in a bid to reverse depopulation.
Question 2: Which continent has the highest population?
- Asia
- Europe
- North America
Correct Answer: Asia
Fact: Asia is not only the largest continent by land area, but it also boasts the highest population. As of 2024, Asia is home to over 4.7 billion people, accounting for around 60% of the world’s population.
Question 3: The global population hit 8 billion people in November 2022. Around which year did it hit 1 billion people?
- 1700
- 1800
- 1900
Correct Answer: 1800
Fact: It took all of human history up to around 1803 or 1804 to reach the first billion people, then just over a century to hit 2 billion people in 1927. Then 33 years to hit 3 billion people in 1960. However, while the population continues to grow, the rate has slowed since the early 1960s, partly due to falling fertility rates. Countries with declining populations include Italy, Japan, Greece, and Latvia.