From the sixteenth to the mid-nineteenth centuries, Portuguese and Brazilian traders were responsible for transporting the highest volume of slaves during the transatlantic slave trade. It is estimated that, of the 12.5 million African slaves captured during this time, more than 5.8 million were transported in ships that sailed under the Portuguese and, later, Brazilian flags. British traders transported the second-highest volume of slaves across the Atlantic, totaling at almost 3.3 million; over 2.5 million of these were transported in the 18th century, which was the highest volume of slaves transported by one nation in one century.
Estimated number of African slaves transported* by various world powers** during the transatlantic slave trade in each century from 1501 to 1866
*This data relates to the number of slaves who embarked on ships; the high mortality rate of the Middle Passage means that the number of slaves who disembarked is significantly lower. The estimated total number of slaves who disembarked is as follows:
Portugal / Brazil: 5,099,815
Britain: 2,733,324
France: 1,164,967
Spain / Uruguay: 884,922
Netherlands: 475,240
U.S.A: 252,652
Denmark/Baltics: 91,733
**The source acknowledges difficulties in assigning national carriers to particular journey; citing factors such as fraudulent papers, or difficulties in differentiating between metropoles and their former colonies (such as Britain and the United States). More information can be found here.
No release date given in the source. Data last accessed in August 2020.
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Slave Voyages. (January 1, 2020). Estimated number of African slaves transported* by various world powers** during the transatlantic slave trade in each century from 1501 to 1866 [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved December 21, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1150477/number-slaves-taken-by-national-carriers/
Slave Voyages. "Estimated number of African slaves transported* by various world powers** during the transatlantic slave trade in each century from 1501 to 1866." Chart. January 1, 2020. Statista. Accessed December 21, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1150477/number-slaves-taken-by-national-carriers/
Slave Voyages. (2020). Estimated number of African slaves transported* by various world powers** during the transatlantic slave trade in each century from 1501 to 1866. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: December 21, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1150477/number-slaves-taken-by-national-carriers/
Slave Voyages. "Estimated Number of African Slaves Transported* by Various World Powers** during The Transatlantic Slave Trade in Each Century from 1501 to 1866." Statista, Statista Inc., 1 Jan 2020, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1150477/number-slaves-taken-by-national-carriers/
Slave Voyages, Estimated number of African slaves transported* by various world powers** during the transatlantic slave trade in each century from 1501 to 1866 Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1150477/number-slaves-taken-by-national-carriers/ (last visited December 21, 2024)
Estimated number of African slaves transported* by various world powers** during the transatlantic slave trade in each century from 1501 to 1866 [Graph], Slave Voyages, January 1, 2020. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1150477/number-slaves-taken-by-national-carriers/
