The role of population trends in human security has been a subject of long-standing importance, and the current population explosion is turning into a global epidemic. Many of the planet’s underlying problems—from climate change to resource scarcity; from conflict to displacement; from poverty to economics; and from immigration to human trafficking—are all a result of a booming world population. Fears of overpopulation are real: the world population nearly quadrupled in the past century and in some areas of the world life expectancy has doubled since the 1950s. As the world’s population approaches 7.5 billion, people are living longer and healthier lives. Some theorists question if we have already reached the planet’s carrying capacity, while others theorize that we are quickly approaching peak population. Many fear that this unprecedented expansion and the accompanying use of resources threaten the world’s ecosystems. Unfortunately, population growth is only going to continue pushing the planet’s carrying capacity to its limit and exacerbate many global problems, including the problem of human trafficking.