Meeting Earth's most typical person

The U.N. says the world's population will reach 7 billion on Monday - evidence that humanity has hit quite a growth spurt -- from our first billion in 1804, to 4 billion in 1974, and shooting up to 6 billion just two decades later.

With all the differences out there, CBS News correspondent Mark Strassmann in search of a familiar face.

Kaitlin Yarnell's team at National Geographic searched population data for humanity's most common characteristics to create a profile of Earth's most typical person.

More about the United Nations Population Fund

Would it be a he or she? Young or old? What race and religion?

The National Geographic researchers found nine million people who had the most in common. They overlayed the faces of 190,000 of them to create one image: Earth's everyman.

"He is Han Chinese so his ethnicity is Han. He is 28 years old. He is Christian. He speaks Mandarin. He does not have a car. He does not have a bank account. I think the reaction here among our staff was, 'Hey, I think I've seen this guy,'" Yarnell said.

National Geographic's special series on Earth's 7 billion people
National Geographic's "7 billion" iPad app

So CBS News went looking for that guy. We called and emailed Chinese-American groups around the country for help. And one of them led us to Main Street, in Queens, New York, and Mu Li.

National geographic researchers averaged the world's population to come up with a composite image of the most typical person in the world. CBS News found someone who fits the bill: Mu Li, a Han Chinese immigrant living in New York City,

/ CBS/National Geographic

He arrived five months ago from Chong Qing, a southwest China mega-city of 28 million people. Li is working in New York as a reporter for the People's Daily, China's state newspaper.

Li is Han Chinese. Mandarin is his first language. And he recognizes the universality of his personal profile.

"I have a common face, a common background. Suddenly you realize, you say, 'Wow, you are the most typical person in the world,'" Li said.

Li fits other criteria. He's right-handed, works in a service industry, lives in a city, owns a cell phone, but no car.

We showed him National Geographic's composite image, and he admits he sees himself in it, chuckling at the suggestion that he may be better looking.

Li's reign as Earth's Everyman will not last long. Earth's population could reach 8 billion people in 2026. By then, the most typical human, will be from India.

[rsoran]

Does Li earn less than 12,000 USD? And lives in New York on that little money?

[hayseedbears]

I'm sorry but is it not a fact that there are more women on the earth than men? Why isn't the most typical human female??
And on another note, what a waste of airtime!

[rsoran]

No, it's a fact that on Dec. 31, 2009 there were
3,442,850,573 men
and
3,386,509,865 women
on Earth, on water, in air and in orbit :-)

[Jaylah54]

Whatever, I think he's cute. I'd certainly have dinner with him. :)

[zeemee]

Does anybody else think that Li DOESN'T look anything like the composite phone. I mean, they both have "Asian" looking eyes, but beyond that, I don't see it.

[Dgunner]

They didnt even consider a Native American . This proof positive that the people who invent these profiles are either predjudice or they are not a citizen of the Ununited States of failed America.

[DDAZ]

Dont these idiots have anything better to do? People are people.. What else is there to know

[fritz1977]

CBS- This is an old story. I saw it at least two months ago on another news site, don't act like it is your great reporting.

Gdogwood- How does the one child only policy equal more females? If you knew anything about it (research/nearly common knowledge) you would know it resulted in more males.

[gdogwood]

Nope. You are wrong. The earth's most typical person must, by the numbers, be FEMALE. Especially if you intend to choose a Chinese. Just look at the One Child Only policy and the gender numbers it created in China. I don't need to do the research. It is obvious.

[SusanMassachusetts]

you are probably the most pompous person, let me guess, white, around 45, underemployed and divorced with kids you barely see and you blame the ex for that.

[MurdochSucks]

HA HA HA, Susan!