Population, long-run history: compare countries

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Population, long-run history by country

Annual, Persons, thousands

Source: Maddison Project Database 2023

Population, long-run history: latest observations by country
Date	Barbados	South Africa	Malawi
Dec 31, 1999	273	46,257	11,310
Dec 31, 2000	274	46,958	11,658
Dec 31, 2001	275	47,820	12,020
Dec 31, 2002	276	48,480	12,395
Dec 31, 2003	278	48,951	12,786
Dec 31, 2004	279	49,478	13,196
Dec 31, 2005	280	50,054	13,625
Dec 31, 2006	281	50,667	14,072
Dec 31, 2007	282	51,339	14,539
Dec 31, 2008	283	52,077	15,026
Dec 31, 2009	285	52,862	15,525
Dec 31, 2010	286	53,682	16,028
Dec 31, 2011	287	54,518	16,534
Dec 31, 2012	288	55,356	17,042
Dec 31, 2013	289	56,215	17,551
Dec 31, 2014	290	57,075	18,060
Dec 31, 2015	291	57,947	18,571
Dec 31, 2016	291	58,830	19,086
Dec 31, 2017	292	59,715	19,603
Dec 31, 2018	293	60,595	20,122
Dec 31, 2019	294	61,469	20,640
Dec 31, 2020	294	62,355	21,159
Dec 31, 2021	295	62,900	21,677
Dec 31, 2022	295	63,382	22,239

Source: Bolt, J. and van Zanden, J.L. (2024), Maddison style estimates of the evolution of the world economy: A new 2023 update, Journal of Economic Surveys, 1-41, DOI 10.1111/joes.12618. Licensed under CC BY 4.0. The original sources are listed on each page.

All data sources

Original sources of these estimates

GDP pc: 2008 - 2022: Total Economy Database the Conference Board for all countries included in TED. Otherwise UN national accounts statistics

South Africa

1700–1900 (Cape Colony): Fourie, J. and Van Zanden, J.L. (2013). GDP in the Dutch Cape Colony: the Nationals Accounts of a Slave-Based Society, South African Journal of Economics, vol. 81 (4): 467 - 490

Malawi

1904-1950: Broadberry, S., & Gardner, L. (2022). Economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1885–2008: Evidence from eight countries. Explorations in Economic History, 83, 101424.

No separate list is published for Barbados; the database as a whole is cited above.