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How to Increase Population in Civilization VI

Shiny happy people.

A thriving country and nation is dependent quite directly on the growth and quality of life of their own population. Keep your people happy and feeling like they can count on you and that you listen to them, then you will see them grow in every way possible. Neglect your population and directly affect their quality of life by not taking care of their safety, space, and even lack of entertainment, then you will last exactly 2 seconds before you’ve got yourself involved in a revolution. Continue reading so you can understand and learn how to increase Population in Civilization VI, and not die trying.

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How to Increase Population in Civilization VI

Like in the real world, there are a couple of factors in Civilization VI that will define whether your population grows or it fades out of existence. Food, Housing, and Amenities are the main factors that determine your survival in the long run. Here is how to increase Population in Civilization VI:

Food

One of the factors that determine the Population increase or decrease is Food. Each citizen number consumes two Food points per turn, which makes up the total food consumption. Any excess Food is stored in the Food Basket. Whenever the basket is full, the Population increases by one point. If you find that your basket is empty, then the Population decreases by one point.

Housing

The second factor that determines the Population number is Housing. Quite a straightforward factor: the more living space available, the more Population growth. The Population growth according to the housing available is the following:

  • If the Housing number exceeds the Population by 2 or more points, then the Population growth rate is standard.
  • If the Housing number exceeds the Population by 1 point, then the Population growth rate decreases by 50%.
  • If the Housing number is equal to the Population’s number, then the Population growth rate decreases by 75%.
  • If the Population number exceeds the Population by 5 points or more, then the Population growth rate stops in its tracks.

Amenities

Luxuries and entertainment is the base of our society. Well, maybe not to that point, but you get what I’m saying. Starting at Population number 3, you will need 1 level of Amenities per 2 Population in order to keep the Population Growth:

  • If you have 3 more Amenities than required, population growth rate increases by 20%.
  • If you have 1-2 more Amenities than required, population growth rate increases by 10%.
  • If you have the exact number of Amenities required, population growth rate is standard.
  • If you have 1-2 fewer Amenities than required, population growth rate decreases by 15%.
  • If you have 3-4 fewer Amenities than required, population growth rate decreases by 30%.
  • If you have 5 fewer Amenities than required, population growth rate stops (and prepare for some real problems with your city).

Others

  • The Hanging Gardens wonder and the Fertility Rites pantheon increases population by 15% and 10% respectively.
  • Several policy cards will increase population growth indirectly.
  • If playing Rise and Fall, Magnus’ Surplus logistics title will increase population growth by 20%, depending on if he is a Governor in a city.
  • The loyalty system affects population growth as well:
    • If Loyalty is 51-75, population growth decreases by 25%.
    • If Loyalty is 26-50, population growth decreases by 75%.
    • If Loyalty is 0-25, population growth stops.

Related: All Civilization VI (Civ 6) Console Commands and Cheats

Now that you know how to manage all the necessary factors to ensure the growth of your population, be sure no to neglect them. Start making their lives a bit better by providing food, with great housing and of course, a lot of entertainment, so they can be kept happy and busy. We don’t want any revolutionary ideas spreading throughout or nation, right? Right?


Civilization VI is available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS. Please check out Gamer Journalist on Facebook to join the discussion and keep up to date with our content. You might also like to check out or guides on Civ VI Abraham Lincoln Strategy Guide – Best Tips for Playing as Honest Abe.

Author
Image of Alejandro Josan
Alejandro Josan
A musician with a heart of a gamer, Alejandro's life has always been accompanied by adventures on Nintendo platformers, countless hours of fantasy RPGs and several third-party FPSs. Currently, he is studying Game Design and Development, preparing for a long career in the video game industry.