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Population, long-run history: compare countries

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Population, long-run history by country

Population, long-run history

Annual, Persons, thousands

Source: Maddison Project Database 2023
Population, long-run history: latest observations by country
Date United StatesGermanyNigeriaDenmark
279,04081,439121,6495,322
282,16281,474125,0145,339
284,96981,534128,5135,358
287,62581,595132,1655,377
290,10881,566135,9715,391
292,80581,473139,9005,404
295,51781,354143,9145,420
298,38081,190148,0195,438
301,23181,009152,1955,461
304,09480,781156,4345,494
306,77280,500160,7515,524
309,32780,301165,1425,548
311,58380,292169,6075,571
313,87880,443174,1425,592
316,06080,663178,7375,614
318,38681,000183,3625,644
320,73981,704187,9795,683
323,07282,366192,5945,730
325,12282,674197,4175,766
326,83882,923202,4985,795
328,33083,110207,6995,818
331,51283,178213,0215,831
332,03283,213218,4735,855
333,28883,811223,7355,907

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

United States

  • 1650 - 1790: McCusker, John J., ‘Colonial Statistics’, Historical Statistics of the United States: Earliest Time to the Present, in S. B. Carter, S. S. Gartner, M. R. Haineset al. New York, Cambridge University Press. V-671.
  • 1790 - 1870: Sutch, R. (2006). National Income and Product. Historical Statistics of the United States: Earliest Time to the Present, in S. B. Carter, S. S. Gartner, M. R. Haineset al. New York, Cambridge University Press III-23-25.
  • 1800-1830: Prados de la Escosura, L. (2009). “Lost Decades? Economic Performance in Post-Independence Latin America,” Journal of Latin America Studies 41: 279–307. (updated data)
  • 1820-1950: GDP movement from Maddison (1995a), amended for 1820–70 to include income of the indigenous population (taken to be $400 per capita in 1820 and 1870).

Germany

  • 1500-1850: Pfister, U. (2022). Economic Growth in Germany, 1500–1850. The Journal of Economic History, 82(4), 1071–1107
  • 1850-1950: Hoffmann, Grumbach and Hesse, op. cit., pp. 454-5.

Nigeria

  • 1885-1950: 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 Denmark; the database as a whole is cited above.