In 2023, the total population of all ASEAN states amounted to an estimated 619.02 million inhabitants. The ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) member countries are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. ASEAN opportunity The Association of Southeast Asian Nations was founded by five states (Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Singapore) in 1967 to improve economic and political stability and social progress among the member states. It was originally modelled after the European Union. Nowadays, after accepting more members, their agenda also includes an improvement of cultural and environmental conditions. ASEAN is now an important player on the global stage with numerous alliances and business partners, as well as more contenders wanting to join. The major player in the SouthIndonesia is not only a founding member of ASEAN, it is also its biggest contributor in terms of gross domestic product and is also one of the member states with a positive trade balance. In addition, it has the highest number of inhabitants by far. About a third of all people in the ASEAN live in Indonesia – and it is also one of the most populous countries worldwide. Among the ASEAN members, it is certainly the most powerful one, not just in numbers, but mostly due to its stable and thriving economy.

Between 1800 and 2021, the total population of each continent experienced consistent growth, however as growth rates varied by region, population distribution has fluctuated. In the early 19th century, almost 70 percent of the world's population lived in Asia, while fewer than 10 percent lived in Africa. By the end of this century, it is believed that Asia's share will fall to roughly 45 percent, while Africa's will be on course to reach 40 percent. 19th and 20th centuries Fewer than 2.5 percent of the world's population lived in the Americas in 1800, however the demographic transition, along with waves of migration, would see this share rise to almost 10 percent a century later, peaking at almost 14 percent in the 1960s. Europe's share of the global population also grew in the 19th century, to roughly a quarter in 1900, but fell thereafter and saw the largest relative decline during the 20th century. Asia, which has consistently been the world's most populous continent, saw its population share drop by the mid-1900s, but it has been around 60 percent since the 1970s. It is important to note that the world population has grown from approximately one to eight billion people between 1800 and the 2020s, and that declines in population distribution before 2020 have resulted from different growth rates across the continents. 21st century Africa's population share remained fairly constant throughout this time, fluctuating between 7.5 and 10 percent until the late-1900s, but it is set to see the largest change over the 21st century. As Europe's total population is now falling, and it is estimated that the total populations of Asia and the Americas will fall by the 2050s and 2070s respectively, rapid population growth in Africa will see a significant shift in population distribution. Africa's population is predicted to grow from 1.3 to 3.9 billion people over the next eight decades, and its share of the total population will rise to almost 40 percent. The only other continent whose population will still be growing at this time will be Oceania, although its share of the total population has never been more than 0.7 percent.

Population, male (% of total population) in South Asia was reported at 51.22 % in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. South Asia - Population, male (% of total) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

Population ages 0-14 (% of total population) in South Asia was reported at 27.28 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. South Asia - Population ages 0-14 (% of total) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2025.

United States Current Population Survey: Population: Asian data was reported at 15,934.000 Person th in Jun 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of 15,874.000 Person th for May 2018. United States Current Population Survey: Population: Asian data is updated monthly, averaging 10,833.000 Person th from Jan 2000 (Median) to Jun 2018, with 222 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 15,983.000 Person th in Mar 2018 and a record low of 8,992.000 Person th in Jan 2003. United States Current Population Survey: Population: Asian data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Bureau of Labor Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s USA – Table US.G007: Current Population Survey: Population.

The world population surpassed eight billion people in 2022, having doubled from its figure less than 50 years previously. Looking forward, it is projected that the world population will reach nine billion in 2038, and 10 billion in 2060, but it will peak around 10.3 billion in the 2080s before it then goes into decline. Regional variations The global population has seen rapid growth since the early 1800s, due to advances in areas such as food production, healthcare, water safety, education, and infrastructure, however, these changes did not occur at a uniform time or pace across the world. Broadly speaking, the first regions to undergo their demographic transitions were Europe, North America, and Oceania, followed by Latin America and Asia (although Asia's development saw the greatest variation due to its size), while Africa was the last continent to undergo this transformation. Because of these differences, many so-called "advanced" countries are now experiencing population decline, particularly in Europe and East Asia, while the fastest population growth rates are found in Sub-Saharan Africa. In fact, the roughly two billion difference in population between now and the 2080s' peak will be found in Sub-Saharan Africa, which will rise from 1.2 billion to 3.2 billion in this time (although populations in other continents will also fluctuate). Changing projections The United Nations releases their World Population Prospects report every 1-2 years, and this is widely considered the foremost demographic dataset in the world. However, recent years have seen a notable decline in projections when the global population will peak, and at what number. Previous reports in the 2010s had suggested a peak of over 11 billion people, and that population growth would continue into the 2100s, however a sooner and shorter peak is now projected. Reasons for this include a more rapid population decline in East Asia and Europe, particularly China, as well as a prolongued development arc in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Historical chart and dataset showing total population for East Asia & Pacific by year from 1960 to 2023.

Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million (% of total population) in South Asia was reported at 16.85 % in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. South Asia - Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2025.

There are approximately 8.16 billion people living in the world today, a figure that shows a dramatic increase since the beginning of the Common Era. Since the 1970s, the global population has also more than doubled in size. It is estimated that the world's population will reach and surpass 10 billion people by 2060 and plateau at around 10.3 billion in the 2080s, before it then begins to fall. Asia When it comes to number of inhabitants per continent, Asia is the most populous continent in the world by a significant margin, with roughly 60 percent of the world's population living there. Similar to other global regions, a quarter of inhabitants in Asia are under 15 years of age. The most populous nations in the world are India and China respectively; each inhabit more than three times the amount of people than the third-ranked United States. 10 of the 20 most populous countries in the world are found in Asia. Africa Interestingly, the top 20 countries with highest population growth rate are mainly countries in Africa. This is due to the present stage of Sub-Saharan Africa's demographic transition, where mortality rates are falling significantly, although fertility rates are yet to drop and match this. As much of Asia is nearing the end of its demographic transition, population growth is predicted to be much slower in this century than in the previous; in contrast, Africa's population is expected to reach almost four billion by the year 2100. Unlike demographic transitions in other continents, Africa's population development is being influenced by climate change on a scale unseen by most other global regions. Rising temperatures are exacerbating challenges such as poor sanitation, lack of infrastructure, and political instability, which have historically hindered societal progress. It remains to be seen how Africa and the world at large adapts to this crisis as it continues to cause drought, desertification, natural disasters, and climate migration across the region.

India's total population reached nearly 1.43 billion people as of 2023, making the country by far the most populous throughout the Asia-Pacific region. Contrastingly, Micronesia had a total population of around 115 thousand people in the same year. The demographics of APAC Asia-Pacific, made up of many different countries and regions, is the most populated region across the globe. Being home to a significant number of megacities, and with the population ever-increasing, the region is unsurprisingly expected to have the largest urban population by 2050. However, as of 2021, the majority of Asia-Pacific countries had rural populations greater than 50 percent.  Population densities Despite China being the most populated country across the region, it fell in the middle of Asia-Pacific regions in terms of population density. On the other hand, Macao, Singapore, and Hong Kong all had the highest population densities across the Asia-Pacific region. These three Asia-Pacific regions also ranked among the top four densest populations worldwide.   

This horizontal bar chart displays population (people) by countries yearly using the aggregation sum in Eastern Asia. The data is about countries per year.

United States Employment: Male: NH: Asian data was reported at 6,323.000 Person th in Apr 2025. This records an increase from the previous number of 6,316.000 Person th for Mar 2025. United States Employment: Male: NH: Asian data is updated monthly, averaging 5,148.500 Person th from Jan 2016 (Median) to Apr 2025, with 112 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 6,323.000 Person th in Apr 2025 and a record low of 4,382.000 Person th in Apr 2020. United States Employment: Male: NH: Asian data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.G: Current Population Survey: Employment.

Population ages 15-64 (% of total population) in South Asia was reported at 66.25 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. South Asia - Population ages 15-64 (% of total) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

Graph and download economic data for Employment Population Ratio - Asian (LNU02332183) from Jan 2000 to Jun 2025 about ratio, asian, 16 years +, household survey, employment, population, and USA.

Population ages 65 and above, total in South Asia was reported at 119627198 Persons in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. South Asia - Total Population for Age 65 and above (only 2005 and 2010) (in number of people) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

South Asia rural population for 2023 was 1,242,579,585, a 0.22% increase from 2022.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>South Asia rural population for 2022 was <strong>1,239,792,401</strong>, a <strong>0.2% increase</strong> from 2021.</li>
<li>South Asia rural population for 2021 was <strong>1,237,335,386</strong>, a <strong>0.3% increase</strong> from 2020.</li>
<li>South Asia rural population for 2020 was <strong>1,233,679,892</strong>, a <strong>0.44% increase</strong> from 2019.</li>
</ul>Rural population refers to people living in rural areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated as the difference between total population and urban population. Aggregation of urban and rural population may not add up to total population because of different country coverages.

Rural population (% of total population) in South Asia was reported at 63.67 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. South Asia - Rural population - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

South Asia urban population for 2023 was 708,960,250, a 2.38% increase from 2022.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>South Asia urban population for 2022 was <strong>692,496,673</strong>, a <strong>2.3% increase</strong> from 2021.</li>
<li>South Asia urban population for 2021 was <strong>676,928,183</strong>, a <strong>2.34% increase</strong> from 2020.</li>
<li>South Asia urban population for 2020 was <strong>661,464,250</strong>, a <strong>2.44% increase</strong> from 2019.</li>
</ul>Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated using World Bank population estimates and urban ratios from the United Nations World Urbanization Prospects. Aggregation of urban and rural population may not add up to total population because of different country coverages.

This horizontal bar chart displays population (people) by countries yearly using the aggregation sum in Central Asia. The data is about countries per year.

United States Employment: sa: NH: Asian data was reported at 12,329.000 Person th in Apr 2025. This records an increase from the previous number of 12,213.000 Person th for Mar 2025. United States Employment: sa: NH: Asian data is updated monthly, averaging 8,280.000 Person th from Jan 2003 (Median) to Apr 2025, with 268 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 12,329.000 Person th in Apr 2025 and a record low of 5,638.000 Person th in Mar 2003. United States Employment: sa: NH: Asian data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.G: Current Population Survey: Employment: Seasonally Adjusted.