List of continents and continental subregions by population

This is a list of continents and continental subregions by population.

Distribution of populations by the United Nations geoscheme

World population by continent, 2010

Asia (60.47%)

Africa (16.05%)

Europe (9.75%)

North America (7.64%)

South America (5.58%)

Oceania (0.50%)

Rank	Continent	Population 2010	±% p.a. 2010–2010	% of world pop.
—	World	7,576,600,516	1.17%	100%
1	Asia	4,581,757,408	1.04%	60.47%
2	Africa	1,216,130,000	2.57%	16.05%
3	Europe	738,849,000	0.08%	9.75%
4	North America	579,024,000	0.96%	7.64%
5	South America	422,535,000	1.04%	5.58%
6	Oceania	38,304,000	1.47%	0.50%
7	Antarctica	1,106	N/A	N/A

Rank	Supercontinent	Population 2013	±% p.a. 2010–2013	% of world pop.
—	World	7,123,815,000	1.17%	100%
1	Afro-Eurasia	6,151,810,000	1.21%	85.90%
2	Americas	972,005,000	1.03%	13.57%

Rank	Subregion	Population 2013	±% p.a. 2010–2013	% of world pop.
—	World	7,632,819,325	1.17%	100%
1	Southern Asia^{^}	1,749,046,000	1.32%	22.91%
2	Eastern Asia	1,620,807,000	0.57%	21.23%
3	South-eastern Asia	618,793,000	1.20%	8.11%
4	South America	406,740,000	1.06%	5.33%
5	Eastern Africa	373,202,000	2.89%	4.89%
6	Northern America	355,361,000	0.85%	4.66%
7	Western Africa	331,255,000	2.78%	4.34%
8	Eastern Europe^#	294,162,000	0.23%	3.85%
9	Western Asia⁺	245,707,000	1.98%	3.22%
10	Northern Africa	210,002,000	1.70%	2.75%
11	Western Europe	192,060,000	0.25%	2.52%
12	Central America^†	167,387,000	1.40%	2.19%
13	Southern Europe^&	155,827,000	0.24%	2.04%
14	Middle Africa	135,750,000	2.79%	1.78%
15	Northern Europe^*	100,404,000	0.54%	1.32%
16	Central Asia	64,370,000	1.43%	0.84%
17	Southern Africa	60,425,000	0.91%	0.79%
18	Caribbean^~	42,517,000	0.71%	0.56%
19	Oceania	38,304,000	1.47%	0.50%

Notes: ^{^} The United Nations geoscheme includes Afghanistan and Iran in Southern Asia.

^# The United Nations geoscheme includes the Balkan countries of Bulgaria and Romania; as well as Siberia (Northern Asia) in Eastern Europe.

^† The United Nations geoscheme includes Mexico in Central America.

^* The United Nations geoscheme includes the Baltic states, the British Isles, and the Channel Islands in Northern Europe.

^~ The United Nations geoscheme includes The Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands in the Caribbean.

⁺ The United Nations geoscheme includes the South Caucasian countries of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia; as well as Cyprus and Turkey in Western Asia.

^& The United Nations geoscheme includes the Balkan countries of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Greece, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Slovenia; as well as Malta in Southern Europe.

Global, continental, and subregional totals from 1950 to 2021

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%
2021	461,141,845	+2.73%

Middle Africa
Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1950	26,401,000	—
1960	32,216,000	+2.01%
1970	40,846,000	+2.40%
1980	53,135,000	+2.67%
1990	70,886,000	+2.92%
2000	96,113,000	+3.09%
2010	130,598,000	+3.11%
2021	190,267,973	+3.48%

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%
2021	255,737,736	+2.09%

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%
2021	67,984,554	+1.29%

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%
2021	418,544,337	+2.83%

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%
2021	1,393,676,444	+2.66%

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%
2021	1,031,377,044	+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%
2021	44,182,048	+0.54%

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%
2021	177,661,929	+0.89%

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%
2021	375,278,947	+0.79%

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%
2021	597,122,924	+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%
2021	434,254,119	+0.82%

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%
2021	75,897,577	+1.83%

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%
2021	1,663,696,923	+0.50%

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%
2021	675,796,065	+1.14%

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	1,702,991,000	+1.61%
2021	1,989,452,478	+1.42%

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%
2021	289,733,123	+2.01%

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%
2021	4,694,576,167	+1.08%

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%
2021	291,464,162	−0.10%

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%
2021	106,197,357	+0.58%

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%
2021	152,130,606	−0.07%

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%
2021	195,381,649	+0.36%

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%
2021	745,173,774	+0.12%

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%
2021	44,491,724	+2.20%

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%
2021	7,909,295,151	+1.21%

Sources

All figures come from the 2015 Revision of the United Nations World Population Prospects.