What is the most populous continent?

The most populous continent is Asia. Its roughly 4.7 billion people make up about 60% of the world’s population, far exceeding every other continent.

Asia’s population is concentrated in South, East, and Southeast Asia. India and China alone together account for around 36% of humanity, while Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Japan, and the Philippines add hundreds of millions more. The continent also contains some of the world’s oldest urban and agricultural civilizations, including those associated with Mesopotamia, the Indus Valley, and ancient China.

Asia is also Earth’s largest continent by land area, covering more than 44 million square kilometres. Its boundaries with Europe are partly historical and cultural rather than purely physical because the two continents share the Eurasian landmass.

A common mix-up is choosing Africa, which is the second-most populous continent. Europe, North America, and Oceania have substantially smaller populations, while Antarctica has only a small, fluctuating population at research stations.