Your growing empire in Anno 117: Pax Romana is built upon its people, and learning how each population tier works is vital to keeping your cities thriving. With two regions and nine different resident types, you’ll be juggling Roman and Celtic societies as you expand from Latium into Albion.
Before diving into diplomacy, production chains, and the cultural clashes, it pays to get familiar with whom you’re governing and how to unlock every population tier in the game.
Also Read: Anno 117: Pax Romana – Garum Production Guide
All Population Tiers in Anno 117
Population growth in Anno 117 works in stages: meet your residents’ needs, upgrade their homes, and unlock the next tier. There are currently four tiers across two regions, each with its own culture and expectations.
Here’s the full rundown:
Overview of Population
| Tier | Population Type | Region |
| I | Libertus | Latium |
| I | Wader | Albion |
| II | Plebeian | Latium |
| II | Mercator (Roman) | Albion |
| II | Smith (Celtic) | Albion |
| III | Eques | Latium |
| III | Noble (Roman) | Albion |
| III | Alderman (Celtic) | Albion |
| IV | Patrician | Latium |
These tiers unlock naturally as you support your citizens and expand your settlement.
Also Read: Anno 117: Pax Romana – How to Unlock All Deities
How to Unlock Every Population Tier
No matter where you’re building, upgrading to a new population tier works the same: each resident type has a set of needs, and once those needs are consistently met, their houses become eligible for upgrade.
Understanding Resident Needs
Your residents will need things like:
- Food
- Apparel or fashion merchandise
- Household supplies
- Public service buildings
They will be ready to upgrade to the next tier, as long as you keep their supply stable. For example, Plebeians become available once you’ve met all the needs of Libertus.
Expanding for New Resources
Some islands just do not have the fertility or materials that you need. If a vital good is missing, you have two options:
- Once you find suitable land, produce the item yourself.
- Purchase through trade with a friendly settlement.
If trade feels too costly or unreliable, it’s often smarter to scout nearby islands and establish a second city to support your production chains.
Making Cultural Choices in Albion
Albion now introduces an interesting twist: in some of the tiers, you get two possible resident types, depending on your choices.
For example:
- At Tier II, you must choose either Mercator (Roman) or Smith (Celtic)
- Your choice sticks until you reach the next tier
This adds a bit of personality to your settlements and can change the development of certain production chains later.
