This past Halloween, the world's population hit seven billion, according to the United Nations. So what do we know about our planet's seven billionth child? And what world will he or she grow up in? A few days before this landmark, Suzanne Petroni the vice president for global health at the Public Health Institute, came on The Takeaway to discuss these questions — and she had some surprising predictions on who the Earth's seven billionth person would be.

The world's population is set to reach seven billion on Monday, October 31, 2011. And all this week, The Takeaway is talking about what this monumental number means for people, resources and the planet. Statistics in the U.S. show that the average American woman has 2.1 children. With these numbers the population balance should looks good for the U.S. But a new book shows that this is not the case.

According to the United Nations, the world's population is set to hit seven billion on October 31st. And all this week The Takeaway is talking about what this monumental number means. Some Western countries are seeing a decline in the number of babies born leaving many governments worried about the future age and strength of their populations. Some rich nations like Germany, are offering financial and practical incentives to encourage women to have children.

The world’s population is set to reach seven billion on Monday, October 31, 2011. The Takeaway is talking about what this monumental number means for people, resources and the planet. One of the biggest questions is who exactly the seven billionth person will be and what his or her life will be like. Suzanne Petroni is vice president for global health at the Public Health Institute, and she has some surprising predictions on who this person might be.

The world's population is expected to reach seven billion on Monday, October 31, 2011. All this week The Takeaway looks at population growth and what it means for natural resources and the planet. High population growth has long concerned politicians and policymakers. The Earth's population first reached 1 billion in 1805, around the midpoint of the industrial revolution. From 1805 it took 123 years for the world's population to reach 2 billion. By contrast, it is estimated that it will only take 15 years until there are 8 million humans living on Earth.

The United Nations says that by the end of October, the world's population will surpass seven billion. The world population is now growing by roughly 80 million people per year. The tiny African nation of Zambia is among many nations around the world experiencing a population boom. Thirteen million people now live in Zambia, compared to just 3 million in 1964 — and the U.N. expects that number to triple by 2050, with perhaps over 100 million people living there by the end of the century. Fergus Walsh, correspondent for the BBC, reports on Zambia's population boom.