North America

North America

Largest Countries:
Canada, United States
Number of Countries:
41
Land Area:
24.2M km² (16.28%)

North America is the third-largest and fourth-most populous of Earth's continents. North America comprises 16.28% of the world's land area, along with 7.71% of the world's current population. It also has the third-highest ranked growth rate today, and has seen a great deal of growth in its many megapolitan areas. The estimated population for North America is approximately 617,280,500.

617,280,500
Total Population
25.46/km²
Density
7.71%
% of World Population

North America Population by Country

< 1M
1M - 10M
10M - 50M
50M - 100M
100M - 300M
> 300M

40 countries

Country
Population
Density
United States347,276,00037
Mexico131,947,00067
Canada40,126,7004
Guatemala18,687,900172
Haiti11,906,100429
Dominican Republic11,520,500237
Honduras11,005,80098
Cuba10,937,200100
Nicaragua7,007,50054
El Salvador6,365,500303
Costa Rica5,152,950101
Panama4,571,19061
Puerto Rico3,235,290365
Jamaica2,837,080258
Trinidad and Tobago1,511,160295
Belize422,92418
Bahamas403,03329
Guadeloupe373,791230
Martinique340,439302
Barbados282,623657
Curacao185,487418
Saint Lucia180,149292
Grenada117,303341
Aruba108,147601
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines99,924257
Antigua and Barbuda94,209213
United States Virgin Islands84,138242
Cayman Islands75,844287
Dominica65,87188
Bermuda64,5551,195
Greenland55,7450.03
Saint Kitts and Nevis46,922180
Turks and Caicos Islands46,85549
Sint Maarten43,9231,292
British Virgin Islands39,732263
Saint Martin24,941471
Anguilla14,728162
Saint Barthelemy11,414544
Saint Pierre and Miquelon5,57423
Montserrat4,35943

North America Overview

North America is a subcontinent of the Americas and is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, the Pacific Ocean to the south and west and South America and the Caribbean Sea to the southeast. The population in 2016 is over 565 million.

North America has an estimated 2016 population of over 565 million, which is based on national estimates from its 23 independent states but does not take into account non-sovereign territories like Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.

The largest countries in terms of land — the United States, Mexico and Canada — also take a lion’s share of North America’s total population. The United States is the 4th largest country on earth, and the third most populous country. While it is North America’s most populous country, it is actually second in terms of size, as Canada does have slightly more total area, but less land area. The population of the United States accounts for almost 57% of the total population of North America.

The United States also has a population in 2016 that is more than double that of Mexico, the second most populous country in North America with just over 21% of the continent’s population. Canada has a mere 6% of North America’s population, and no other country accounts for more than 3% after these three.

Most Populous Countries in North America

347,276,000

131,947,000

The ten most populous countries in North America are:

  • United States: 321.2 million
  • Mexico: 121 million
  • Canada: 35.8 million
  • Guatemala: 16.1 million
  • Cuba: 11.2 million
  • Haiti: 10.9 million
  • Dominican Republic: 9.9 million
  • Honduras: 8.9 million
  • Nicaragua: 6.5 million
  • El Salvador: 6.4 million

Least Populous Countries in North America

North America has 23 independent states, but 41 countries total including non-independent territories. When these countries are included, the 5 least populous countries (all non-independent) in North America are:

  • Montserrat (UK): 5,000
  • Saint Pierre and Miquelon (France): 6,000
  • Saint Barthelemy (France): 10,000
  • Anguilla (UK): 14,000
  • Caribbean Netherlands (Kingdom of the Netherlands): 26,000

Saint Kitts and Nevis is the smallest sovereign state in the entire Americas, both in terms of size and population. This federal two-island country in the West Indies has a population of just under 55,000 in 2016.

North America's Population Growth

North America Population

North America has seen a great deal of growth in its many megapolitan areas, including the ten listed above. The United States alone has 11 megaregions that transcend international borders, comprising Mexican and Canadian metropolitan regions. Like many areas of the world, much of North America is experiencing high rates of urbanization that is expected to continue.

North America as a whole has a current population growth rate of just under 1% annually, with a birth rate that is nearly double the death rate. In 2013, the United Nations population division changed its forecast for the world population upward to 11.2 billion in 2100, as they found that fertility rates in many developing countries are not slowing as expected. While they increased their forecast for many regions, especially Latin America and Africa, they reduced their forecasts for North America.

It’s estimated that by 2050, the population of North America will be approximately 685 million.

Is North America a Continent?

North America is the third largest continent in terms of area, after Asia and Africa, and the fourth in terms of population after Asia, Africa and Europe. Asia has nearly double the area of North America (43.8 million square kilometers versus 24.5 million square kilometers), and North America accounts for 16.5% of the world’s total landmass and 8% of the world’s total population. Asia, meanwhile, has 60% of the total population on just 29.5% of the world’s landmass.

Regions of North America

Caribbean

Some of the countries in this region include:

This area has a population size of 44.6M and covers about 233.9K square miles.

Central America

Some of the countries in this region include:

This area has a population size of 185.2M and covers about 2.5M square miles.

Latin America

Some of the countries in this region include:

This area has a population size of 624M and covers about 20.3M square miles.

Northern America

Some of the countries in this region include:

This area has a population size of 387.5M and covers about 21.5M square miles.

Sources

  1. World Population Prospects (2024 Revision) - United Nations population estimates and projections.

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