Human Population in TNG

[TrailerParkJawa]

Are there any sources out there that indicate how many worlds humans have colonized and what are population is at the time of Picard and company?

[Stofsk]

None which are canon...

What I mean is, I don't think they ever said a population number, nor a planet number, on the show.

The books on the other hand... of course, they're in no way canon.

Something the books said was Earth had something rediculously low like 3 billion people in TNG time. I can't remember which book it was. I remember a thread about it, some time ago...

[TheDarkling]

Are there any sources out there that indicate how many worlds humans have colonized and what are population is at the time of Picard and company?

Kirk says that the Federation/Humans (it isn't clear which) is on 1000 planets and spreading out, by the time of TNG that figure has probably increased by a fair margin.

By DS9 the Federation can expect 900 billion casualties in a losing war against the Dominion (and still have enough people left for a revolution to occur within 5 generations).

BASHIR
If we fight, we'll take over nine
hundred billion casualties.

I think those are the best figures we have, although they only give a board outline of an answer to your question.

[Jason von Evil]

Are there any sources out there that indicate how many worlds humans have colonized and what are population is at the time of Picard and company?

Kirk says that the Federation/Humans (it isn't clear which) is on 1000 planets and spreading out, by the time of TNG that figure has probably increased by a fair margin.

By DS9 the Federation can expect 900 billion casualties in a losing war against the Dominion (and still have enough people left for a revolution to occur within 5 generations).

BASHIR
If we fight, we'll take over nine
hundred billion casualties.

I think those are the best figures we have, although they only give a board outline of an answer to your question.

Yeah, but not all those will be humans.

[Murazor]

Yeah, but not all those will be humans.

However, humans seem to be by far the most prolific race of the Federation and the most numerous force in Starfleet.

[2000AD]

Something the books said was Earth had something rediculously low like 3 billion people in TNG time. I can't remember which book it was. I remember a thread about it, some time ago...

Wasn't there a third world war that used nuclear weapons? Wouldn't that decrease the population a bit?

[TheDarkling]

Yeah, but not all those will be humans.

Which maybe why I said they only give a broad outline and not an actual answer.

[TheDarkling]

Wasn't there a third world war that used nuclear weapons? Wouldn't that decrease the population a bit?

600 million died according to Riker.

[Jason von Evil]

Yeah, but not all those will be humans.

Which maybe why I said they only give a broad outline and not an actual answer.

*Shakes fist at* Details, details.

[Major Diarrhia]

There is the 9 billion drones on the assimilated Earth quote from First Contact. But it's hard to use because the Borg can grow new drones in maturation chambers, so there is no telling how much of that population was originaly there nor by how much the Borg would have expanded, population wise, on Earth in the intervening ~300 years.

Something that's more concrete is the info from the ENT episode "Twilight". In the 2150's, humans have something like four colony worlds that get destroyed.

[Gandalf]

Well if the Federation have some 140+ member worlds, some living across a few systems it would seem feasible that they could be well over a trillion.

Also, in ST:2 Carol Marcus mentions Genesis as being a way to deal with over population. This could indciate they're at least thinking about it, which would means a significant population.

[TrailerParkJawa]

Something the books said was Earth had something rediculously low like 3 billion people in TNG time. I can't remember which book it was. I remember a thread about it, some time ago...

Wasn't there a third world war that used nuclear weapons? Wouldn't that decrease the population a bit?

3 billion seems pretty low even if there was a long period of negative population growth either because most families have only a single child or due to people leaving Earth for colonies.

A big war might kill enough humans to make for a long recovery but I think by the time of TNG they've had centuries of modern, high quality living. So the population I'd expect would be bigger than 3 billion.

[Cao Cao]

Perhaps Earth is maintained as a low density paradise, with people stuffed into colonies. Hence a low population.

[Enola Straight]

I figure, the UFP limits the population of Home Worlds in a way a little more strident than that of the United States.

to be an Earth Citizen, you must be:

1. Born there
2. Legally Married or Adopted to a natural-born earther
3. Assigned there by the state.

Emigration to colonies is encouraged to strengthen territoriality.
Eventually, a colony becomes populous and self-sufficient enough to qualify promotion to Member status.

[TrailerParkJawa]

Well if the Federation have some 140+ member worlds, some living across a few systems it would seem feasible that they could be well over a trillion.

Also, in ST:2 Carol Marcus mentions Genesis as being a way to deal with over population. This could indciate they're at least thinking about it, which would means a significant population.

I forgot about that. Perhaps in ST:2 replicators were not perfected because I think they also mentioned something about food production, but my memory is a bit hazy. I think a trillion human beings by that time would be feasible. It would be interesting to see however, if by the time of TNG is most families average 2 children or not.

[Lord MJ]

A trillion HUMANS.

I know the Federation as a whole can be (and is) trillions.

But, a trillion HUMANS? As in humans originating from Earth?

[Dark Primus]

A trillion humans? not likely.

At best perhaps 100 billion, but I believe a more accurate figure would be somewhere 40-60 billion.