Population of Venezuela 1810-2020

In 1810, the region of present-day Venezuela had a population of approximately 720,000 people. Despite beginning this period with a war of independence and spending much of the latter half of the 19^th century embroiled in several civil wars, the population of Venezuela would continue to increase steadily in this century, reaching the three million mark in 1910.

Oil boom

From the late 1910s onwards, Venezuela's economic and demographic development would become inextricably linked to its booming oil industry. By the 1930s, Venezuela had become the world's largest exporter of oil; although it was overtaken by the U.S. and Soviet Union following the Second World War, Venezuela was a founding member of OPEC, and still has the largest oil reserves in the world today. This boom resulted in a large wave of migration from Europe and other regions of the Americas, as well as economic investment and influence from the U.S. government and the "seven sisters" oil companies. The Colombian crisis of the late 20^th century also resulted in a wave of mass migration to Venezuela, which began in the 1980s; by the early 2000s it was estimated that displaced Colombians constituted one seventh of the total Venezuelan population.

Migration reversal

Venezuela's population growth continued into the 21^st century, and by 2015, the population would peak at just over thirty million people. In the past five years, however, it is estimated that Venezuela's population has dropped by over 1.5 million (or five percent). The reason for this decline can be traced back to the economic mismanagement and radical leftist policies of Hugo Chávez; the first half of Chávez's term was characterized socioeconomic progress that improved the healthcare system and quality of life of most Venezuelans, however, the second half saw his regime become increasingly authoritarian and oppressive, and economically unsustainable. Chávez died in 2013, but his successor, Nicolás Maduro, continued upon the trajectory of the Chávez administration, which led to mass protests, further economic declines and, eventually, one of the most severe humanitarian crises in the world. Some estimates suggest that the weight of the average Venezuelan had dropped by eleven kilograms by 2017, and that ninety percent of the population was living in poverty by 2018. As of 2019, an estimated 4.5 million Venezuelans have fled the country, and this number is expected to rise above six million in the next year. As the crisis continues, Venezuelan population has continued to fall, and in 2020, it is estimated that approximately 28.4 million people live in the country.