Every year, about 140 million babies are born into the world, while around 60 million people pass away. It's a constant cycle of birth and death that has been happening since the beginning of humanity. If we look at it in terms of numbers, it's kind of mind-blowing.
Visualizing death
Let's say we use an hourglass to visualize the cycle of birth and death. If each grain of sand represents 10 million people, then the hourglass would have to be pretty darn big to hold all the grains. There are currently around 8 billion people alive on the planet, and over the course of human history, it's estimated that around 117 billion people have been born. That's a whole lot of sand grains passing through the hourglass.
Why am I thinking about death?
While the cycle of birth and death is a natural part of life, it's still worth taking a closer look at the numbers. For instance, did you know that the global death rate is about 8.2 per 1,000 people? Or that the top leading causes of death worldwide are cardiovascular disease, cancer, and respiratory disease?
Of course, it's not all about the numbers. Behind every statistic is a real person with a life, a family, and a story. But looking at the big picture can help us understand trends and patterns, and perhaps even find ways to improve people's lives. So, the next time you come across a statistic about birth and death rates, don't just brush it off. Take a moment to consider the wider implications and what it might tell us about the world we live in.