List of countries by population throughout history?

[Jan H]

In the 14th century, Ghent and Bruges were the two most important cities in the Low Countries, with about 65.000 and 40.000 inhabitants respectively.

In the 16th century (the Golden Age of the "Southern Netherlands", current Belgium), the city of Antwerp had about 100.000 inhabitants and was the 2nd biggest European city North of the Alps (after London I presume).

 

[Dachs]

The Roman Empire at its territorial height at the death of Trajan had about 88 million people inside it, according to some estimates...and that's probably not counting slaves, either.

 

[Verbose]

This site might hold something useful:

http://www.tacitus.nu/historical-atlas/population/

 

[sydhe]

China is the most populous when united, except as noted for the British Empire at its peak.

I don't really count China as united during the period 700-221 BC. Assyria was probably the most populous empire for a while in the 7th century BC. The Persian Empire was the most populous from 539 (Conquest of Babylon) until sometime during the period 336 - 330 BC. Alexander's empire would then be the most populous for a few years. In the early 3rd century BC, the Seleucid or Maurya empire would be the most populous.

In the period 220 - 280 AD, the Roman Empire would be the most populous.

During the 16 Kingdoms period, Rome would again be the most populous when united, and possibly the Gupta empire when it was not.

I've no idea who would be the most populous in the period 907 - 960. It may simply have been whichever of the five dynasties ruled Southern China.

 

[Disenfrancised]

The Roman Empire at its territorial height at the death of Trajan had about 88 million people inside it, according to some estimates...and that's probably not counting slaves, either.

*Raises eyebrow* Citations please .

 

[Dachs]

*Raises eyebrow* Citations please .

Rein Taagepera's 1979 article Size and Duration of Empires: Growth-Decline Curves, 600 B.C. to 600 A.D.. Got it from JSTOR for a project last year.

 

[sydhe]

There's a period in the 6th century when the Eastern Roman Empire was the most populous. This is the interval when the Northern Wei divided and Justinian's empire took over Italy, North Africa and part of Spain. This ended when Sui Wen ti reunited China. The Caliphate doesn't seem to ever have been the most populous.

 

[Chieftess]

Speaking of Rome, I remember reading some history-related site that said Rome (the empire, not the city) might've had 60 percent of the world population. I suppose that would be 80-90 million people with the population at about 150 million. Of course, it would be hard to get that percentage these days since population centers are all over the place, not just major waterways in a narrow band around the Earth.

 

[sydhe]

That's implausible. China and India together had a lot more people than the Roman Empire.

 

[Kahran Ramsus]

I heard it was around 25% at its peak, which is much more feasible.

 

[Bertenbog]

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_population_in_1907 for a list of countries by population in 1907.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II_casualties - has population statistics for a whole lot of countries in 1939.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_I_casualties - has pop stats for the main powers of the time.

 

[Yoda Power]

Here are some numbers from a book of mine.

Distribution of world population 1400 AD.

North America (Canada+USA): 6.2 mil.
Central America: 19 mil.
South America: 19 mil.
Europe: 44 mil.
Africa (with Egypt): 31 mil.
Middle East (without Egypt): 19 mil.
Central Asia (from Kazakhstan to Afghanistan): 0,3 mil.
South Asia (Pakistan, India + Bangladesh): 78 mil.
East Asia (China+Korea+Japan): 75 mil.
Southeast Asia (From Myanmar to Indonesia): 22 mil.
Oceania (Australia+NZ): 0.03 mil.

 

[Yoda Power]

Cities in China with a pop over 300,000 in 750 AD (Tang dynasty).

Chang'an
Loyang
Cangzhou
Jizhou
Weixhou
Xiangzhou
Bianzhou
Runzhou
Xuanzhou
Changzhou
Chengdu
Yangzhou
Annanduhufu (in present Vietnam)

 

[Yoda Power]

Japan 1918 AD.

Cities with a pop over 500,000.

Edo (Tokyo)
Kobe
Osaka
Kyoto

Cities with a pop over 100,000

Nagasaki
Sasebo
Hiroshima
Kure
Yokohama
Okayama
Hakodate

 

[Yoda Power]

British India 1857 AD.

Cities with a pop over 500,000.

Bombay
Hyderabad (India not Pakistan)
Calcutta
Lucknow

Cities with a pop over 100,000.

Madras
Bangalore
Ahmadabad
Baroda
Jaipur
Lahore
Amritsar
Gwalior
Agra
Delhi
Allahabad
Benares
Patna

Cities with a pop over 50,000

Karachi
Multan
Peshawar
Srinagar
Jullundur
Surat
Thana
Poona
Colombo
Trichinopoly
Tanjore
Porto Novo
Sholapur
Howrah
Dacca
Murshidabad
Rangoon
Bhagalpur
Monghyr
Cawnpore
Meerut
Moradabad
Bareilly
Muttra
Aligarh
Shahjahanpur
Farrukhabad
Mirzapur
Nagpur
Hoshangabad
Indore

 

[Yoda Power]

Europe in age of industrilization.

Cities with a pop over 500,000 in 1850.

London
Paris
St. Petersburg
Moscow

Cities with a pop over 500,000 in 1890.

Liverpool
Manchester
Birmingham
Berlin
Rome
Naples
Glasgow

Cities with a pop over 500,000 in 1914.

Marseille
Madrid
Barcelona
Antwerp
Amsterdam
Cologne
Hamburg
Munich
Vienna
Milan
Dublin
Copenhagen
Leipzig
Dresden
Kiev
Odessa
Constantinople

 

[Yoda Power]

Cities in the Holy Roman Empire and Italy with a pop over 10,000 in 1250 AD.

Bruges
Ghent
Liege
Cologne
Milan
Pavia
Brescia
Verona
Padua
Venice
Cremona
Bologna
Pistoia
Lucca
Florence
Genoa
Siena
Rome
Naples
Barletta
Messina
Palermo

 

[Yoda Power]

Population density in China 1393 (Ming Dynasty). Listed in provinces.

All number in per sq. mile.

Pei Chih-Li: 21-40
Shansi: 41-90
Shantung: 41-90
Shensi: 0-20
Honan: 21-40
Nan Chih-Li: 100-200
Szechwan: 0-20
Hu-Kuang: 21-40
Chekiang: 200+
Kweichow: 0-20
Yunnan: 0-20
Kwangsi: 0-20
Kwangtung: 21-40
Fukien: 41-90
Kiangsi: 100-200