Is the following true?

Since the majority of people who have ever lived are living still, probability does not support the major premise of the syllogism in question, namely, that all men are mortal.


It's not true, but I once thought it was. On being questioned, I tracked down where I thought I'd got it from, and found it hadn't said it. But perhaps the claim is circulating and I picked it up from somewhere.

If you look at the Earth's population estimates, you see something like this, (which is very rough): 1 thousand million in 1800, 2 thousand million in 1900, 3 in 1930, 4 in 1960, and increasing. Project these forward and back and add them up to either 100 000 or 3 000 000 years ago, it makes no difference which, and you find that our present population is of the order of one fifth of those who have ever lived. But it should reach the majority within a hundred years.

(Repeats disclaimer about vagueness, but it gives the right picture at least.)