▁used ▁the ▁existing ▁estimates ▁to ▁derive ▁a ▁" cons ensus ▁count " ▁of ▁about ▁ 5 4   mill ion ▁people . ▁Non eth eless , ▁more ▁recent ▁estimates ▁still ▁range ▁widely . ▁ ▁Using ▁an ▁estimate ▁of ▁approximately ▁ 3 7   mill ion ▁people ▁in ▁Mexico , ▁Central ▁and ▁South ▁America ▁in ▁ 1 4 9 2 ▁( including ▁ 6   mill ion ▁in ▁the ▁Az te c ▁Empire , ▁ 5 – 1 0 ▁million ▁in ▁the ▁May an ▁States , ▁ 1 1 ▁million ▁in ▁what ▁is ▁now ▁Brazil , ▁and ▁ 1 2 ▁million ▁in ▁the ▁In ca ▁Empire ), ▁the ▁lowest ▁estimates ▁give ▁a ▁death ▁to ll ▁due ▁from ▁disease ▁of ▁ 8 0 % ▁by ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 7 th ▁century ▁( n ine ▁million ▁people ▁in ▁ 1 6 5 0 ). ▁Latin ▁America ▁would ▁match ▁its ▁ 1 5 th - century ▁population ▁early ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century ; ▁it ▁number ed ▁ 1 7   mill ion ▁in ▁ 1 8 0 0 , ▁ 3 0   mill ion ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 0 , ▁ 6 1   mill ion ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 0 , ▁ 1 0 5   mill ion ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 0 , ▁ 2 1 8   mill ion ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 0 , ▁ 3 6 1   mill ion ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 0 , ▁and ▁ 5 6