---
title: Populations
description: A population in PingOne defines a set of users and can simplify user management.
component: pingone
page_id: pingone:directory:p1_populations
canonical_url: https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingone/directory/p1_populations.html
revdate: February 11, 2025
section_ids:
  default-populations: Default populations
  roles-and-populations: Roles and populations
---

# Populations

A population defines a set of users and can simplify user management in PingOne.

For example, you can create a population for similar types of users, such as those in a particular region or job function, and assign those users a unique password policy.

All users are assigned to a population, and you must have at least one population before you can create users. You can move individual users to a different population, but an individual user can't belong to more than one population simultaneously.

Learn more in [Managing populations](p1_manage_populations.html).

## Default populations

You can configure any population as the default population. When creating a user through the console or API, PingOne adds the user to the default population unless you specify a population. Learn more in [Managing populations](p1_manage_populations.html).

## Roles and populations

You can assign administrator roles for managing populations. For example, you can give an administrator user the Identity Admin role for a particular population so that the administrator can manage identities in that population but not in other populations. Learn more in [Administrator Roles](p1_roles.html).