Despite the challenges inherent to this task, the Population Project is dedicated to recording the name of every single living person.
300,000 babies born every day
Not all births are registered, which makes tracking them difficult
15% humans without identification
The information that we log is collected from multitudinous sources that must be cross-checked, again and again, for accuracy
0 countries using names in their census reports without identification
Sources we gather data from may contain errors; typos are known to happen even in electoral records and graduation lists
F.A.Q
Why we need volunteers?
Calling the Population Project an ambitious initiative might be the understatement of the year. We need to identify up to 8 billion people in countries with highly different linguistic structures and record-keeping traditions. Simply put, we need your time and enthusiasm to gather as many records from as many corners of the world as possible. It means scouring the internet, looking for long lists of names, ideally from official sources.
Why is the website’s counter sometimes down?
It is the star of the Population Project: our counter of living humans is never idle for long. Most of the time, it’s ticking up as we process new public lists. Sometimes thought, it’s inching down. Before explaining how it is possible, it’s worth remembering that the Population Project’s counter reflects the number of LIVING humans in the database. But we also host 152
Is there a way to stay informed about The Population Project’s activities?
Information on newsletters, social media, or other communication channels.
How can I contact The Population Project for more information?
Contact details and methods for reaching out.
How can I contribute to The Population Project?
The world map depicted on the home page should give you an idea of the countries where we need the most help. The ideal list is long, official, and contains some notion of birth year. Counting your family members, friends, schoolmates, and colleagues, you probably know a few hundred people. It’s up to you to see them all on the Population Project! Look
What are the goals of The Population Project?
Simply put, because every life deserves to be acknowledged. It is estimated that one billion people - 15% of the world’s population - has no legal existence whatsoever. They cannot vote, travel, open a bank account. The Population Project might not reverse the legal plight of these people but it can give them that doesn’t cost much but means a lot: dignity.
We use cookies
This action require writing some functional cookies to your browser. These cookies allow a website to remember choices that have made in the past for better experience.