World Population by Country | 1600-2023

This video follows the top 15 countries or political units by population at any given year. It begins in the year 1600 and continues to the present, where more than 14 times the people now inhabit the planet.
Humanity has embarked on an unprecedented period of population growth over the past 400 years. Over the course of this demographic transition great changes have swept the planet with no government from 1600 remaining uninterrupted until the present.
Unfortunately, due to a lack of sources, many smaller realms and kingdoms have been excluded in earlier periods, especially Native American tribes, several Sub-Saharan African kingdoms, and the Aboriginal people of Oceania. This may mean early totals are a bit low. Following about 1800, the vast majority of the world is included in totals. The erratic changes on the bars are caused by border changes and the rise/fall of the various powers. Rather than tracking population in a static area, this visualization seeks to emphasize the changing nature of demographic power throughout history.

[acmenipponair]

Imagine this: we are now in the rare times when China was overtaken by another country by population.

[theunderratedweeb]

Fun fact:even if we take the billion people from India and China...they will still be the first and second most populous country

[gzbzgqz]

I’m from Small country called Kyrgyzstan, so funny thing we were part Mongols when they where in top 2 by population, we were partly under China empire when they where top 2, we were part of USSR when they were top 3, but now we are small but independent country with 7 million population 🙂🇰🇬

[richardthomas]

This was awesome - it shows the actual population administered by each nation rather than the "modern area". Great job!

[oscarzxn]

Is insane how much the population of Nigeria and Pakistan increased in the last 10 years

[xxLillyxx]

The fact that India & China have been the most populous places for over 400 years is INSANE like how is that possible

[wellesmorgado]

Re Brazil: the data shown in the video was based on estimates from the 2010 census. The results from 2022-2023 census just came out and the total population is only 203 million, 10 million less than shown.

[jermicidal]

The United Kingdom population halved when India gained independence.. lol

[spikefivefivefive]

It boggles the mind to think that India's and China's populations are the same number but in vastly different-sized countries.

[rorystevie]

Indonesia growth after independence in 1945 was massive because of term that used in that generation. And it was "Banyak Anak Banyak Rejeki" that had meaning "More Children More Fortune".

It rapid growth need to reduced in early 80s by goverment with "Keluarga Berencana" or Family Plan program with 2 children per family.

[larryroyovitz]

If you watch closely, you can see some of these empires lose people in a single year, that's more than the entire population of some of the countries below it.

[abirabir]

Fun fact: Bangladesh is 115 times smaller than Russia but is more populated as of 2023

[vnsshorts]

the medieval period: When Population meant The Power you have

[seoul_louis]

Africa's poplation growing is just incredible. Also, Southeast Asia's population growing is unbelivable. The population growth of Brazil and the United States are understandable because they are basically immigrants from around of the world. But Africa and Southeast Asia, from the least populated regions in the world, became one of the most populated regions in the world by giving births. Thats just incredible.

[dymaxion]

This is fantastic! While I doubt the program you use can actually do this, here’s a few hypothetical ideas I had to make this easier to follow:

- Name/flag changes on the fly. Instead of “Spanish Empire (Habsburg)” decreasing to zero while “Spanish Empire (Bourbon)” races up to replace it, it could just stay where it is and only change its label.

- Visually combining countries. Instead of “Kingdom of England” decreasing to zero while “Great Britain” increases from zero, imagine this: “Kingdom of Scotland” comes up from the bottom to the right, neatly slots on to the side of England, the label/flag changes to GB, and then it moves up to its new place on the list.

- Visually splitting countries. Imagine this: for the dissolution of the Soviet Union, all the republics split off from the right and descend in single file down the side, the remaining part changes label to Russia, and then moves down to its new place on the list.

- Visually representing changes in military occupation. For example, chunks of population would fly between “Republic of China” and “Empire of Japan” yearly as the tides of the war change. You could show migration in a similar way (if you had the data), but I would recommend against it, because it would add ambiguity when the point is to reduce it.

[brandonberrios]

Before 1950 it’s normal having 15 children and become grandparents at 30’s
After 1980 is normal having 1 or 2 children and become grandparents at 50’s.

[Abee]

As a Maratha, Proud to see Maratha Empire ruling the world for long time ❤🇮🇳🚩🚩🔥Jay Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj 🚩

[at-mm]

Leaders
1600-1644: Ming Dynasty
1644-1688: Qing Dynasty
1688-1699: Mughal Empire
1699-1911: Qing Dynasty
1911-1926: Republic of China
1926-1947: United Kingdom
1947-1949: Republic of China
1949: India
1950-2023: People's Republic of China
2023 onwards: India

[angelmusic_]

Super fascinating. I wish there were pop ups showing the different world events that cause some of those shifts. I guess you'd have to slow it down to show some of them.

[Quicklearnhub]

As a Nepali Proud to see malla dynasty .