How many people can earth support?

Answer 1

Optimistically, with current technology, this planet can support between three and four billion people, though not at a particularly high standard of living. Realistically it could support 0.5 to 1 billion quite well. If we could develop cost effective hydrogen fusion and high temperature superconductors, the planet could likely sustain a larger population than that.

It's worth noting that the current population is estimated to be a bit over seven billion.

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A most interesting question and we would need to define how we are to be supported. If we are talking the ability to exist and have a space to survive on the number may be as high as 100 billion.

If we are worrying about the ability to obtain food, the number may be closer to 10 billion. This would leave us about 0.9 hectares of productive land available. (This does not take into account the probability of more soil degradation.)

All of these numbers though ignored human rights, biodiversity, and aesthetic appreciations of natural beauty, considering humans only as mindless animals consuming food. Let's put these variables back into the equation and ask how many the Earth can support at various levels of human affluence.

To kind of give you a feel for why these numbers vary so much let's look at how lifestyle varies that number:

1. Everyone at the current U.S. standard of living and with all the health, nutrition, personal dignity and freedom that most Americans currently enjoy the number is about 2 billion.

2. Everyone at the same affluence level as in 1, but with few restrictions on commerce, pollution, land use, personal behavior (within current law), etc. Basically a libertarian, laissez faire economy, with only limited environmental restrictions. The number drops to about a half billion

3. Everyone in the world at Mexico's current prosperity level we could have that number increase to 20 billion

4. Everyone in the world at the current "prosperity" level of Northwest Africa we would be able to support 60 billion.

As population increases, we will need to restrict more freedom and do with less. What you expect for a lifestyle for yourself and others is the central issue.

Answer 2

The question cannot be answered, for a couple of reasons.

1. We don't know how big the universe is, and whether it is expanding as many theories say it must.

2. We cannot imagine numbers so large. Imagine the biggest number that you can think of, and then multiply that number by itself.

Yeah; THAT many.

Answer 3

The Sun can hold roughly 333,000 Earths.