Is the world’s population count way off? A new study says yes, by possibly billions.

According to the United Nations, the global population is estimated at around 8.2 billion people.

But a new study suggests that figure could be off—by hundreds of millions, or even billions.

Dr. Josias Láng-Ritter, a postdoctoral researcher at Aalto University in Finland, found that the UN’s estimates may significantly undercount individuals living in rural areas.

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Láng-Ritter’s study suggests rural populations could be underrepresented by more than 50%.

“We were surprised to find that the actual population living in rural areas is much higher than the global population data indicates. Depending on the dataset, rural populations have been underestimated by between 53% to 84% over the period studied,” Láng-Ritter said.

“The results are remarkable, as these datasets have been used in thousands of studies and are widely used to inform decision-making—yet their accuracy hasn’t been systematically evaluated,” he added.

The miscounts stem largely from the lack of resources in many countries for accurate data collection.

Areas with larger populations often receive more funding and attention, leaving rural regions overlooked and underreported.

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On November 15, 2022, the UN announced the birth of the eight billionth human.

The next biggest species population on Earth is the rat, with an estimated 7 billion of the vermin scurrying around the planet.

The estimated population of the United States in 2025 is roughly 347 million, according to World Population Review.

That figure puts the U.S. as the third most populous country in the world, behind China and India.