These are some substantiated calculations on the ethno-cultural composition of the population of the Verse based on actual data from the current ethnic composition of the Earth’s population and the History of the planet’s evacuation given in the Timeline of The Verse in Numbers, edition 2.1.
In 2010, the Anglo-Saxon and the Western European World, that is to say the Anglo-Saxon countries and the entire European Union including the three Baltic countries, but excluding Romania and Bulgaria (which belong to the Eastern European world), has a population of 790,000,000. This is the 11 % of the total population of the Earth.
The Sinic World, that is modern East Asia (China, Japan, Korea, Mongolia), has a population of 1,600,000,000 being the 22.5 % of the total population of the Earth.
The Southeastern Asian and Insular Asian-Oceanic World, that is to say Indochina, Philippines and Native Oceania, has a population of 360,000,000 being the 5 % of the total population of the Earth.
The Eastern European and Russian World (including the Balkans) have a population of 300,000,000 being the 4.3 % of the total population of the Earth.
The Latin American World (including the Latin American of the US) has a population of 650,000,000 being the 9.3 % of the total population of the Earth.
Black Africa has a population of 800,000,000 being the 11 % of the total population of the Earth.
The Muslim World has a population of 1,400,000,000 being the 20 % of the total population of the Earth.
The Hindu World has a population of 1,200,000,000 being the 17 % of the total population of the Earth.
The total population of the Earth was more than 7,000,000,000 in 2010.
According to Firefly/Serenity wikia, the United States had politically absorbed the United Kingdom long ago before the Earth’s evacuation started, which implies that the Anglo-Saxon countries and the European Union were possibly a political unit, rather a Confederation. We can imply the same for most of the rest of the Earth’s countries, being united in culture-based federations or confederations, mostly due to the fear of the exhaustion of the natural resources and the upcoming evacuation of the planet. The Western European and Anglo-Saxon World, and on the other hand the Sinic World (and presumably Confederation) were the two most potent political and technological powers of the Earth in the time of her evacuation.
When in 2100 the loading of the ark ships was complete, more or much more than 250,000,000 people were still surviving, after the almost zero reproductive rates due to the epidemics, hunger, pollution and criminal activities. Of those survivors, a little over a quarter billion boarded on the arks while the rest remained on Earth and later were presumed to be dead.
Depending on the power and influence, the technological level, the internal organization and discipline, the natural resources, the wealth and other features of the respective aforementioned Worlds of Earth, in 2100 their quota on the total human population had to be as follows:
Western European and Anglo-Saxon World: 66,000,000 000, being the 22 % of the total population of the Earth.
Sinic World: 132,000,000 (44 % of the total population).
Southeastern Asian and Insular Asian-Oceanic World: 7,500,000 (2.5 %).
Eastern European and Russian World: 13,000,000 (4.3 %).
Latin American World: 17,500,000 (5.5 %).
Black Africa: 15,000,000 (5 %).
Muslim World: 27,000,000 (9 %).
Hindu World: 25,000,000 (8.5 %).
The entire population of the Earth in 2100 is 303,000,000, being a reasonable figure according to the information given in The Verse in numbers, edition 2.1, page 1.04 (Timeline).
We took into account the estimate that the two predominant powers being the Sinic World and the Western European-Anglo-Saxon World managed to keep numbers of populations in twice as much quota compared to the quotas rest populace of the Earth. The Eastern European World managed to keep its quota in humanity's population, while the other Worlds were in a condition of a larger demographic decline.
Finally, depending on the same aforementioned factors concerning the respective Worlds, the quota of the figures of those who managed to board on the arks was:
Western European and Anglo-Saxon World: 60,000,000 000, being the 24 % of the total population of the Earth.
Sinic World: 120,000,000 (48 % of the total population).
Southeastern Asian and Insular Asian-Oceanic World: 5,000,000 (2 %).
Eastern European and Russian World: 11,200,000 (4.5 %).
Latin American World: 12,500,000 (5 %, mostly Brazilians and Argentineans).
Black Africa: 7,500,000 (3 %, essentially only the wealthy and/or influential Africans).
Muslim World: 18,800,000 (7.5 %).
Hindu World: 17,500,000 (7 %).
The total figure of those who managed to board on the arks was 252,500,000.
And essentially this is the final ethnic composition of the human populations of the Verse, at least in the first decades of their dwelling in their new home.
Thereby, we reach the following conclusions concerning the ethnological-cultural origins of the Verse’s populace:
The Sinoid/Mongoloid population consist almost 50 % of humanity (from 27.5% in 2010). However the Southeastern Asians and the Insular Asian-Oceanics being just 2 % of humanity are on their way of being totally absorbed mostly by their Sinoid cousins.
The European-originating population – including the Anglo-Saxons, most of the Latin Americans, and the Eastern Europeans and Russians – consist almost 30 % of humanity. The Russians and Eastern Europeans are a small minority with a quota of 4.5 % (which even if we add the Poles, Hungarians, Lithuanians, Latvians and Estonians of the old EU just reaches 5 %). They will be probably gradually assimilated by the other European-originating population of the Verse.
The Native Americans practically disappeared in the Verse due to their scant numbers and assimilation: there are a few left among the Latin Americans and the North Americans consisting less than 1 % of humanity, mostly mixed with European-originating.
In the European-originating populace, the English has to be the dominant language, along with some minorities of Spanish, Russian, French and German speakers. In the Sinoid/Mongoloid populations, the Mandarin has to be the dominant language along with some minorities of Japanese and Korean speakers.
Due to the aforementioned conclusions, Joss Whedon reasonably estimated that the Anglo-American and the Chinese character and culture would be the predominant ones in the Verse.
The quotas of the Muslim and Hindu peoples in the Verse, that is to say the populations originating from the Indian subcontinent, Indonesia, Malaysia, North Africa and the Middle East are also reduced to 15 %. The Black African-originating populations are 5 % of humanity, of whom a little more than half came from Africa and the rest came from the US, Europe and Brazil.
According to the Firefly/Serenity story, it can be presumed that the Sinoids/Mongoloids are mainly concentrated in Sihnon and the planets colonized by it, while the European-originating population is mainly concentrated in Londinium and its colonies, although the other planets excluding the two mentioned, usually have mixed population of both of these ethno-cultural groups and the other groups as well. It seems that the Muslim, Hindu and African-originating groups live among the two aforementioned predominant groups, composing an average quota of 20 % of the total population in each planet.
As noted in other articles of Firefly/Serenity wikia, Buddhism and Christianity are the religions with the greatest numbers of followers in the Verse. It is also evident that Islam, Hinduism, Taoism, Confucianism and Judaism are also popular religions.
SOURCES
- Wikipedia is the source on the figures of the Earth's ethno-cultural groups: articles on North America, Latin America, East Asia, Europe, European Union, Russian Federation, Islam, Indian subcontinent, Black Africa, Indochina, Philippines, Oceania.
- The Verse in Numbers
- Serenity Role Playing Game
- Atlas of the 'Verse