This is a list of continents and continental subregions by population.
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Distribution of populations by continent
Asia |
4,560,667,108 |
59.8% |
1.04% |
49 |
Africa |
1,275,920,972 |
16.7% |
2.57% |
54 |
Europe |
746,419,440 |
9.8% |
0.08% |
51 |
North America |
582,931,600 |
7.6% |
0.96% |
23 |
South America |
423,581,078 |
5.6% |
1.05% |
12 |
Oceania |
41,570,842 |
0.5% |
1.48% |
2 |
Antarctica |
|
0.01% |
1 |
Distribution of populations by continental subregion
Southern Asia |
1,895,813,944 |
24.8% |
1.32% |
Eastern Asia |
1,666,471,330 |
21.8% |
0.57% |
South-eastern Asia |
655,298,044 |
8.6% |
1.20% |
Eastern Africa |
422,563,363 |
5.5% |
2.89% |
South America |
423,581,078 |
5.6% |
1.06% |
Western Africa |
381,202,440 |
5.0% |
2.78% |
Northern America |
364,295,996 |
4.8% |
0.85% |
Eastern Europe |
293,790,259 |
3.8% |
0.23% |
Western Asia |
271,031,766 |
3.6% |
1.98% |
Northern Africa |
237,293,794 |
3.1% |
1.70% |
Western Europe |
194,754,503 |
2.6% |
0.25% |
Middle Africa |
169,121,879 |
2.2% |
2.79% |
Central America |
175,471,787 |
2.3% |
1.40% |
Southern Europe |
152,637,573 |
2.0% |
0.24% |
Northern Europe |
105,237,105 |
1.4% |
0.54% |
Central Asia |
72,051,628 |
0.9% |
1.43% |
Southern Africa |
65,739,496 |
0.9% |
0.91% |
Caribbean |
43,163,817 |
0.6% |
0.71% |
Australia and New Zealand |
29,641,283 |
0.4% |
N/A |
Melanesia |
10,715,336 |
0.1% |
N/A |
Polynesia |
676,096 |
0.009% |
N/A |
Micronesia |
538,127 |
0.007% |
N/A |
Antarctica |
|
0.01% |
Global, continental, and subregional totals from 1950 to 2018
See also: United Nations geoscheme
Africa
Eastern Africa |
Year |
Pop. |
±% p.a. |
1950 |
66,923,000 |
— |
1960 |
84,305,000 |
+2.34% |
1970 |
110,428,000 |
+2.74% |
1980 |
147,512,000 |
+2.94% |
1990 |
198,232,000 |
+3.00% |
2000 |
259,373,000 |
+2.72% |
2010 |
342,743,000 |
+2.83% |
2018 |
422,563,363 |
+2.65% |
Middle Africa |
Year |
Pop. |
±% p.a. |
1950 |
26,401,000 |
— |
1960 |
32,216,000 |
+2.01% |
1970 |
408,460,000 |
+28.92% |
1980 |
53,135,000 |
−18.45% |
1990 |
70,886,000 |
+2.92% |
2000 |
96,113,000 |
+3.09% |
2010 |
130,598,000 |
+3.11% |
2018 |
169,121,879 |
+3.28% |
Northern Africa |
Year |
Pop. |
±% p.a. |
1950 |
49,222,000 |
— |
1960 |
63,697,000 |
+2.61% |
1970 |
82,883,000 |
+2.67% |
1980 |
106,908,000 |
+2.58% |
1990 |
140,117,000 |
+2.74% |
2000 |
171,891,000 |
+2.06% |
2010 |
203,717,000 |
+1.71% |
2018 |
237,293,794 |
+1.93% |
Southern Africa |
Year |
Pop. |
±% p.a. |
1950 |
15,588,000 |
— |
1960 |
19,724,000 |
+2.38% |
1970 |
25,454,000 |
+2.58% |
1980 |
32,997,000 |
+2.63% |
1990 |
42,049,000 |
+2.45% |
2000 |
51,451,000 |
+2.04% |
2010 |
59,067,000 |
+1.39% |
2018 |
65,739,496 |
+1.35% |
Western Africa |
Year |
Pop. |
±% p.a. |
1950 |
70,769,000 |
— |
1960 |
84,946,000 |
+1.84% |
1970 |
106,015,000 |
+2.24% |
1980 |
137,414,000 |
+2.63% |
1990 |
180,331,000 |
+2.76% |
2000 |
235,235,000 |
+2.69% |
2010 |
307,982,000 |
+2.73% |
2018 |
381,202,440 |
+2.70% |
Total Africa |
Year |
Pop. |
±% p.a. |
1950 |
228,902,000 |
— |
1960 |
284,887,000 |
+2.21% |
1970 |
365,626,000 |
+2.53% |
1980 |
477,965,000 |
+2.72% |
1990 |
631,614,000 |
+2.83% |
2000 |
814,063,000 |
+2.57% |
2010 |
1,044,107,000 |
+2.52% |
2018 |
1,275,920,972 |
+2.54% |
Americas
Total Americas |
Year |
Pop. |
±% p.a. |
1950 |
340,459,000 |
— |
1960 |
425,357,000 |
+2.25% |
1970 |
519,522,000 |
+2.02% |
1980 |
619,252,000 |
+1.77% |
1990 |
727,522,000 |
+1.62% |
2000 |
840,614,000 |
+1.46% |
2010 |
943,952,000 |
+1.17% |
2018 |
1,006,512,678 |
+0.81% |
North America
Caribbean |
Year |
Pop. |
±% p.a. |
1950 |
17,076,000 |
— |
1960 |
20,724,000 |
+1.96% |
1970 |
25,306,000 |
+2.02% |
1980 |
29,748,000 |
+1.63% |
1990 |
34,198,000 |
+1.40% |
2000 |
38,314,000 |
+1.14% |
2010 |
41,621,000 |
+0.83% |
2018 |
43,163,817 |
+0.46% |
Central America |
Year |
Pop. |
±% p.a. |
1950 |
38,029,000 |
— |
1960 |
51,400,000 |
+3.06% |
1970 |
69,702,000 |
+3.09% |
1980 |
92,425,000 |
+2.86% |
1990 |
114,823,000 |
+2.19% |
2000 |
138,780,000 |
+1.91% |
2010 |
161,117,000 |
+1.50% |
2018 |
175,471,787 |
+1.07% |
Northern America |
Year |
Pop. |
±% p.a. |
1950 |
171,615,000 |
— |
1960 |
204,167,000 |
+1.75% |
1970 |
231,029,000 |
+1.24% |
1980 |
254,217,000 |
+0.96% |
1990 |
280,633,000 |
+0.99% |
2000 |
313,724,000 |
+1.12% |
2010 |
344,129,000 |
+0.93% |
2018 |
364,295,996 |
+0.71% |
Total North America |
Year |
Pop. |
±% p.a. |
1950 |
226,719,000 |
— |
1960 |
276,291,000 |
+2.00% |
1970 |
326,036,000 |
+1.67% |
1980 |
376,390,000 |
+1.45% |
1990 |
429,653,000 |
+1.33% |
2000 |
490,818,000 |
+1.34% |
2010 |
546,867,000 |
+1.09% |
2018 |
582,931,600 |
+0.80% |
South America
Total South America |
Year |
Pop. |
±% p.a. |
1950 |
113,739,000 |
— |
1960 |
149,066,000 |
+2.74% |
1970 |
193,486,000 |
+2.64% |
1980 |
242,862,000 |
+2.30% |
1990 |
297,869,000 |
+2.06% |
2000 |
349,796,000 |
+1.62% |
2010 |
397,085,000 |
+1.28% |
2018 |
423,581,078 |
+0.81% |
Asia
Central Asia |
Year |
Pop. |
±% p.a. |
1950 |
18,131,000 |
— |
1960 |
24,616,000 |
+3.10% |
1970 |
33,156,000 |
+3.02% |
1980 |
41,277,000 |
+2.21% |
1990 |
50,407,929 |
+2.02% |
2000 |
55,117,000 |
+0.90% |
2010 |
62,139,000 |
+1.21% |
2018 |
72,051,628 |
+1.87% |
Eastern Asia |
Year |
Pop. |
±% p.a. |
1950 |
666,586,000 |
— |
1960 |
788,145,000 |
+1.69% |
1970 |
978,113,000 |
+2.18% |
1980 |
1,173,372,000 |
+1.84% |
1990 |
1,368,592,000 |
+1.55% |
2000 |
1,496,284,000 |
+0.90% |
2010 |
1,575,320,000 |
+0.52% |
2018 |
1,666,471,330 |
+0.71% |
South-eastern Asia |
Year |
Pop. |
±% p.a. |
1950 |
164,900,000 |
— |
1960 |
213,838,000 |
+2.63% |
1970 |
281,521,000 |
+2.79% |
1980 |
358,106,000 |
+2.44% |
1990 |
445,665,000 |
+2.21% |
2000 |
526,179,000 |
+1.67% |
2010 |
596,708,000 |
+1.27% |
2018 |
655,298,044 |
+1.18% |
Southern Asia |
Year |
Pop. |
±% p.a. |
1950 |
493,443,000 |
— |
1960 |
593,943,000 |
+1.87% |
1970 |
741,603,000 |
+2.25% |
1980 |
939,043,000 |
+2.39% |
1990 |
1,189,261,000 |
+2.39% |
2000 |
1,451,933,000 |
+2.02% |
2010 |
1,702,969,000 |
+1.61% |
2018 |
1,895,813,944 |
+1.35% |
Western Asia |
Year |
Pop. |
±% p.a. |
1950 |
50,957,000 |
— |
1960 |
66,156,000 |
+2.64% |
1970 |
86,037,000 |
+2.66% |
1980 |
113,786,000 |
+2.83% |
1990 |
148,552,000 |
+2.70% |
2000 |
184,957,000 |
+2.22% |
2010 |
232,703,000 |
+2.32% |
2018 |
271,031,766 |
+1.92% |
Total Asia |
Year |
Pop. |
±% p.a. |
1950 |
1,394,018,000 |
— |
1960 |
1,686,698,000 |
+1.92% |
1970 |
2,120,430,000 |
+2.31% |
1980 |
2,625,584,000 |
+2.16% |
1990 |
3,202,475,000 |
+2.01% |
2000 |
3,714,470,000 |
+1.49% |
2010 |
4,169,850,000 |
+1.16% |
2018 |
4,560,667,108 |
+1.13% |
Europe
Eastern Europe |
Year |
Pop. |
±% p.a. |
1950 |
220,171,000 |
— |
1960 |
253,630,000 |
+1.42% |
1970 |
276,396,000 |
+0.86% |
1980 |
295,042,000 |
+0.65% |
1990 |
310,027,000 |
+0.50% |
2000 |
303,789,000 |
−0.20% |
2010 |
294,591,000 |
−0.31% |
2018 |
293,790,259 |
−0.03% |
Northern Europe |
Year |
Pop. |
±% p.a. |
1950 |
78,030,000 |
— |
1960 |
81,790,000 |
+0.47% |
1970 |
87,305,000 |
+0.65% |
1980 |
89,833,000 |
+0.29% |
1990 |
92,040,000 |
+0.24% |
2000 |
94,397,000 |
+0.25% |
2010 |
99,682,000 |
+0.55% |
2018 |
105,237,105 |
+0.68% |
Southern Europe |
Year |
Pop. |
±% p.a. |
1950 |
108,633,000 |
— |
1960 |
117,879,000 |
+0.82% |
1970 |
127,617,000 |
+0.80% |
1980 |
138,495,000 |
+0.82% |
1990 |
143,404,000 |
+0.35% |
2000 |
145,058,000 |
+0.11% |
2010 |
153,360,000 |
+0.56% |
2018 |
152,637,573 |
−0.06% |
Western Europe |
Year |
Pop. |
±% p.a. |
1950 |
142,256,000 |
— |
1960 |
152,320,000 |
+0.69% |
1970 |
165,903,000 |
+0.86% |
1980 |
170,489,000 |
+0.27% |
1990 |
175,615,000 |
+0.30% |
2000 |
183,163,000 |
+0.42% |
2010 |
187,762,000 |
+0.25% |
2018 |
194,754,503 |
+0.46% |
Total Europe |
Year |
Pop. |
±% p.a. |
1950 |
549,089,000 |
— |
1960 |
605,619,000 |
+0.98% |
1970 |
657,221,000 |
+0.82% |
1980 |
693,859,000 |
+0.54% |
1990 |
721,086,000 |
+0.39% |
2000 |
726,407,000 |
+0.07% |
2010 |
735,395,000 |
+0.12% |
2018 |
746,419,440 |
+0.19% |
Oceania
Total Oceania |
Year |
Pop. |
±% p.a. |
1950 |
12,682,000 |
— |
1960 |
15,784,000 |
+2.21% |
1970 |
19,688,000 |
+2.23% |
1980 |
22,972,000 |
+1.55% |
1990 |
26,971,000 |
+1.62% |
2000 |
31,068,000 |
+1.42% |
2010 |
36,411,000 |
+1.60% |
2016 |
39,901,000 |
+1.54% |
2018 |
41,570,842 |
+2.07% |
World
Total World |
Year |
Pop. |
±% p.a. |
1950 |
2,525,149,000 |
— |
1960 |
3,018,344,000 |
+1.80% |
1970 |
3,682,488,000 |
+2.01% |
1980 |
4,439,632,000 |
+1.89% |
1990 |
5,309,668,000 |
+1.81% |
2000 |
6,126,622,000 |
+1.44% |
2010 |
6,929,725,000 |
+1.24% |
2018 |
7,631,091,040 |
+1.21% |
Sources
- All figures come from the 2015 Revision of the United Nations World Population Prospects.