The world in 1987
On 1 January 1987, 5 billion people were alive. During the year, 141 million children were born and 48.7 million people died.
Mid-1987 is the first mid-year with more than 5 billion people.
In 2026 the world has 3.25 billion more people, 1.6 times as many.
The median age is 22.4. 34% of the people are under 15 and 5.9% are 65 or older.
Life expectancy at birth is 63.2 years, and women have 3.5 children on average at that year’s rates.
Countries with more than 100 million people: 9.
- Population, 1 January 1987
- 5,003,401,655
- Median age
- 22.4
- Births in 1987
- 141,346,561
- Deaths in 1987
- 48,657,012
- Life expectancy at birth
- 63.2
- Children per woman
- 3.48
- Under 15
- 33.6%
- 65 and over
- 5.9%
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The most populous countries
| Country | Population | Under 15 | 65 and over |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | 1,086,392,285 | 30.1% | 5.0% |
| India | 799,793,084 | 39.1% | 4.0% |
| United States | 245,052,052 | 21.3% | 11.9% |
| Indonesia | 171,845,506 | 37.7% | 3.8% |
| Russia | 145,487,137 | 22.9% | 9.5% |
| Brazil | 139,731,139 | 36.8% | 3.8% |
| Japan | 121,663,583 | 20.7% | 10.8% |
| Bangladesh | 103,812,162 | 44.1% | 3.5% |
| Pakistan | 103,333,124 | 43.7% | 3.4% |
| Nigeria | 88,398,306 | 45.6% | 3.2% |
Development and urbanisation
| Indicator | Latest value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Living in cities | 34.0% | 1987 |
| People using the internet | none observed | – |
| Access to electricity | none observed | – |
| Adult literacy (ages 15 and over) | 71.9% | 1987 |
| none observed | – | |
| none observed | – | |
| none observed | – | |
| Human Development Index | none observed | – |
Values observed in 1987, or in the closest earlier year within five years, shown with that year. The share in cities is a UN estimate to 2025 and a projection after. Sources: World Bank WDI, UNDP HDR, UN WUP 2025.
Sources: World Population Prospects 2024, UN DESA Population Division (CC BY 3.0 IGO).