Historical Demographics Altar of Domitius Ahenobarbus Articles Demographic history Historical demography World population estimates List of countries by population 1900 1939 1989
This is a list of countries by population in 1939 (including any dependent, occupied or colonized territories for empires), providing an approximate overview of the world population before World War II.
Estimate numbers are from the beginning of the year, and exact population figures are for countries that were having a census in the year 1939 (which were on various dates in that year).
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Rank Country/territory Population Percentage of world's population World 2,300,000,000 –1 545,463,825 2 Japanese Empire 304,119,0003 267,568,000 4 A. G. Volkov Census of 1937 Facts and Fictions originally published in Перепись населения СССР 1937 года. История и материалы/Экспресс-информация. Серия "История статистики". Выпуск 3–5 (часть II). М., 1990/ с. 6–63 170,918,8115 138,499,0696 French EmpireTony Chafer, The end of empire in French West Africa: France's successful decolonisation? (2002)see Chafer abstract 111,524,4727 Statistisches Jahrbuch für das Deutsche Reich, 1919–1941/42 86,755,2818 78,366,3009 Italian Empire 57,596,51710 40,289,000 11 34,849,00012 Spanish Empire 26,822,80013 Belgian Empire 22,491,00014 19,933,80015 19,320,00016 Portuguese Empire 18,595,40017 17,370,00018 15,490,00019 Thailand 15,023,00020 14,340,000 21 13,948,00022 (Semi-independent British dominion) 11,267,00023 (Semi-independent British dominion) 10,160,00024 9,129,000 25 8,896,00026 7,222,000 27 6,970,00028 6,572,00029 6,458,00030 6,341,00031 Nepal 6,087,000 32 4,914,00033 4,235,000 34 4,210,00035 (including colonies)Statistical yearbooks of DenmarkStatistics Faroe Islands 3,959,200 36 3,700,000 37 (semi-independent British protectorate) 3,698,00038 3,628,00039 2,960,000 40 2,945,000 41 The population of the Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen was derived by taking the population ratio between North and South Yemen in 1975 (see reference) and applying that same distribution to both Yemeni states in 1939 2,775,00042 2,707,00043 2,670,00044 2,659,00045 Slovakia (semi-independent German protectorate)2,655,00046 2,575,00047 2,412,00048 2,150,00049 1,994,50050 1,953,00051 1,634,00052 1,459,60053 1,134,00054 1,096,95055 1,073,000 56 1,000,00057 931,80058 819,00059 806,00060 780,00061 623,40062 605,00063 (semi-independent British protectorate) 470,00064 The figures for Danzig are from 1929. 408,00065 295,000 66 24,00067 14,50068 13,00069 6,00070 1,0000.000046%
See also List of countries by population List of countries by population in 1900 List of countries by population in 1989 List of countries by population in 2000 List of countries by population in 2005 List of territories occupied by the United Kingdom List of territories occupied by Imperial Japan
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