Which continent has no permanent human population?

Antarctica is the continent with no permanent human population.

People live there temporarily in research stations, but Antarctica has no indigenous population or ordinary permanent settlement. Scientists, engineers and support staff rotate through stations according to seasonal research and logistical schedules. Summer brings a much larger temporary population than the dark, isolated winter.

The continent's harsh environment makes permanent settlement difficult. About 98% of Antarctica is covered by ice, temperatures can fall below −80°C in the interior, and the polar night can last for months. Most stations cluster near the coast, where access is somewhat easier and conditions are less extreme.

Antarctica is governed internationally through the Antarctic Treaty System, which reserves the continent primarily for peaceful scientific cooperation. A useful distinction is that “no permanent population” does not mean “no people”: research teams can remain year-round at some stations, and children have even been born there. Those residents are still part of rotating national programmes, not a longstanding permanent population.