If all the people in the world were standing next to each other, what area would they take up on the ground?

Question

i.e. the size of the UK, India, China?

Answer 1

It was reckoned about fifteen years ago that the world's human population could theoretically fit into an area the size of the Isle of White. But with the average girth of the American and British citizen increasing significantly, due to rising obesity levels, an area the size of Australia is probably more realistic these days.

Answer 2

Not difficult to estimate.

Say you can fit squeeze 10 people in a square meter - that would not be far out.

Therefore, you only need to divide 6 billion by 10 to get the area in sq m.

= 600 million sq m

= 6 x 10^8

There are 10,000 sq m in one hectare

so dividing by 10,000 (10^4)

= 6 x 10^4

That's only 60,000 hectares

for all those (mainly Americans) not famliar with the simplicity of the metric system, 1 hectare = 2.5 acres.

Therefore you could squeeze everybody in 150,000 acres.

But easier, 60,000 hectares is 600 sq km

Which is an area about 25 km by 25 km (15 x 15 miles)

There's not really a lot of us, is there?

Incidentally, those who have heard the garbage about everybody jumping at the same time and moving the world, the entire human race weighs about 15 trillionth of the weight of the Earth (yes, that is trillionth, not a typo).

Answer 3

I remember it used to be said that everyone in the world could (theoretically) fit onto the Isle of Wight. Some quick sums suggest that the 4 billion square feet of the island would be would be a bit tight for the 6.5 billion people there now are, but the Isle of Man (that little blob in the sea between Ireland and Britain, if you aren't familiar) with 6.3 billion square feet would provide about a square foot each, something like a typical rush-hour tube train. Perhaps we're not as big as we think we are!

Answer 4

Well by some calculating I found that it will take up to nearly 105 square kilometers if every person takes an area of 150 square centimeters and the population of the world is 7 billions

Answer 5

It depends on how much room you allow each person. If you were to put each person in square that is two feet on a side, you could put the entire population of the world in a space of about 860 square miles, which is about the size of Jacksonville, Florida.

Answer 6

One China.

You do know that Everything is made in China right?

So everybody can fit into a China.

Answer 7

Wow.

I've heard that all humans could be stacked like cordwood in a cube 1 km x 1 km x 1 km with room to spare.

Answer 8

Uk, don't think they would fill India or China.

Answer 9

About 650 million square meters.

Answer 10

Some time ago I read they could all fit into Ireland, but I'm not sure if the six counties were included.