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In 1800, the population of the region that makes up present-day Ecuador was approximately half a million people. This figure would begin to grow following Ecuador’s breakaway from the Spanish empire, first into the state of Gran Colombia in 1822, and then as its own fully independent republic in 1830. The Ecuadorian population would grow slowly but steadily throughout the 19^th century, and by 1900, the country would have just under one and a half million people. Beginning in the 1930s, however, population growth would begin to increase more and more rapidly, as reforms and modernization programs begun under José María Velasco Ibarra would allow for an increasingly large population to be supported. As a result, Ecuador’s population would triple from a little over two million in 1930, to over six million in 1970. This growth would remain steady well into the 21^st century, and in 2020, Ecuador is estimated to have a population of approximately 17.6 million.