English: A graphical representation of tabulated data (from "Estimated world population at various dates") on Population Figures

Notes:
(a) "At the dawn of agriculture, about 8000 B.C., the population of the world was approximately 5 million": World Population Clock).
(a) Minimal population for many thousands of years.
(b) Steady growth began around 1000 BC which then levelled off (or alternatively peaked) around the year 0.
(c) Trend for next 800 - 900 years from around 800 AD onwards was steady growth though with major disruption from frequent plague (most notably the Black Death from 1350 AD - 1400 AD).

(Please see notes regarding the source data and method used for plotting the resulting population dips caused by both the Black Death and later plagues).

(d) Rate of growth increases significantly from around 1700 AD (coinciding with the start of the Industrial Revolution).

(e) Dramatic increase in rate of growth since 1950 to approx. 6.7 billion at present and forecast to continue to some 9 billion by 2040.