1963 Population

In 1963, the world’s population was approximately 3.2 billion people, reflecting a period of rapid growth following World War II. Asia was the most populous continent, home to over half the global population, with China and India alone accounting for more than one billion people combined—China had around 700 million, while India had about 470 million. Europe, despite its smaller land area, was the second most populous continent, with roughly 600 million inhabitants, though its population growth had begun to slow. Africa’s population was around 285 million, still relatively low compared to its vast size, but it was entering a period of rapid increase. North America had about 200 million people, with the United States making up the majority at around 190 million. Latin America and the Caribbean together had nearly 220 million, with Brazil and Mexico as the largest countries in the region. Oceania, including Australia and the Pacific Islands, had a much smaller population, totaling less than 20 million. This demographic landscape set the stage for the dramatic global population increases that would follow in the subsequent decades.

Data from US Census International Database