Total Population of the Continents

population by continent
continent population (in thousands)(est.)
1950 1975 2000 2010 2025 2050
Africa 227,270 418,765 819,462 1,033,043 1,400,184 1,998,466
Asia 1,402,887 2,379,374 3,698,296 4,166,741 4,772,523 5,231,485
Europe 547,460 676,207 726,568 732,759 729,264 691,048
Latin America and the Caribbean 167,307 323,323 521,228 588,649 669,533 729,184
Northern America 171,615 242,360 318,654 351,659 397,522 448,464
Oceania 12,807 21,286 31,160 35,838 42,507 51,338
World 2,529,346 4,061,317 6,115,367 6,908,688 8,011,533 9,149,984
source: UN Statistics Division, Department of Economic and Social Affairs. "World Population Prospects: The 2008 Revision".
note: future estimates are based on a medium fertility variant of population growth.

Total Population of the Continents by percentage

continent population (est.)
1950 1975 2000 2010 2025 2050
Africa 8.99% 10.31% 13.40% 14.95% 17.48% 21.84%
Asia 55.46% 58.59% 60.48% 60.31% 59.57% 57.17%
Europe 21.64% 16.65% 11.88% 10.61% 9.10% 7.55%
Latin America and the Caribbean 6.61% 7.96% 8.52% 8.52% 8.36% 7.97%
Northern America 6.78% 5.97% 5.21% 5.09% 4.96% 4.90%
Oceania 0.51% 0.52% 0.51% 0.52% 0.53% 0.56%
World 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%
source: UN Statistics Division, Department of Economic and Social Affairs. "World Population Prospects: The 2008 Revision".
note: future estimates are based on a medium fertility variant of population growth.