Each pop has an assigned culture and religious beliefs, leading to diverse populations in almost every location—with hundreds of religions and thousands of cultures in play, it's rare to have a completely homogeneous demographic split. Culture and religion are not merely cosmetic; they directly impact different game systems, such as cultural prestige, available advances, different mechanical behaviors, and the literacy of the population.

For example, a single social class, such as peasants, inhabiting a single location in Iberia, can be made up of various cultural and religious groups like Catalan Catholics, Andalusi Sunnis, and Sephardic Jews. Players must decide how to balance the wants and needs of their diverse population while navigating the friction that political, cultural, and religious differences can cause.

Demographics of Diverse Spanish province - 1337

Speaking of social class, these are categories in which the population is split, making it possible to promote and demote pops based on available jobs and demand. Different buildings employ different types of pops: Where burghers and laborers primarily produce goods for the economy, nobles and soldiers provide the defence, and clergy provide literacy. But their attributes matter as well—for example, a more literate clergy will also be better at converting other pops.

Promotions in Paris Mid game

The pops system makes EU5 feel more like a world simulator, where every choice shapes a nation's social fabric.

The dynamic nature of pops extends to their needs and their responses to player policies. Pops require essentials like food, clothing, and luxuries, which are integrated into EU5's reworked trade system, about which we’ll talk in detail in a future Dev Diary.

Pop needs in France mid game