How much space if everyone is lined up shoulder to shoulder does the world's current population take up?

Answer 1

A reasonable packing would be three people to the square meter. The world's population in October 2008 is about 6.7 billion people. So we would need 2233 square kilometers or 862 square miles. If you moved all these people to New Haven County, Connecticut, USAwhich has that exact area, the whole population of the worldcould stand upright, three to a square meter, completely within its borders. (Does it have any lakes or rivers?) OK, 256 square miles is water, so 2 billion people will be treading water. Surely some of them can swim!

Answer 2

Assuming the world's current population is around 7.9 billion people and the average shoulder width is about 18 inches, the total space they would take up would be approximately 71,100 miles if lined up shoulder to shoulder.