How many dead people are there?

Question

I need to define my terms?
What about dead people that have thoroughly decomposed or already been cremated?
For this question, let's assume "dead people" includes everyone who has ever died (since humankind first emerged from the primordial category), no matter what eventually happened to the body. Where could I find research on this question?
Disclaimer: This question was already asked on Yahoo-Answers, but the answers were not cogent. I'm asking the question again, for I desire cogent answers.
Please, thank you.

Answer 1

You can't PROVE how many people have ever lived, but you can certainly estimate it. And your estimates are going to vary depending on exactly what assumptions you use to justify it.

Here's one set of calculations that seems pretty sound to me. It assumes that the first instance of what we would call 'humanity' appeared about 50 thousand years ago (a somewhat disputable postulate) and uses pretty rough estimates about birth rates, but at least compares them to fairly well accepted benchmarks of poulation. And the result:

110 billion people have ever lived, leaving about 5% of the total population ever alive being still around today (making around 100 billion dead people, in round numbers).

Answer 2

If you look at a graph of world population, you can see that it's absolutely exploded in the last hundred years or so. So yes, about as many people are alive right now as have died in all of history, which puts the number at a very rough 6 billion.

Answer 3

A sea is dead once it has no water in it, which the Dead Sea does. The name "the Dead Sea" i not ttoally literal =P It is called that because its so salty that no animal can live in it, and if they tried, they'd die. But they wouldnt be that stupid to try i the first place =D Actually its so salty you can float. Its cool. =D

Answer 4

Approximately 55 billion. Philosophy John Leslie estimated the number of total humans ever born at 60 billion; subtracting 5 billion or so for present living humans, you arrive at the first figure.

Answer 5

I don't think you could find that answer any where in a small amount of time. You would have to research all continents,countries,states,History books,and then your not going to get an accurate count what about those that have never been found,etc.......... but good luck in your journey

Answer 6

I think 50 Billion because people have been dead for years and if u go to every cemetery in the world i think you will find more

Answer 7

Literally... it's in the BILLIONS... that's THOUSAND MILLIONS MANY TIMES OVER.

Answer 8

I'll answer this way: Half of all the people who ever lived are alive today.

Answer 9

Too many to be counted. Oh, sorry, not cogent enough.

Answer 10

One. "god is dead" Nietzsche