How Many Passengers were on the Titanic?

The RMS Titanic carried a total of 1,316 passengers on its ill-fated maiden voyage in 1912. These passengers were divided into three distinct classes, reflecting the social stratification of the early 20th century:

• First Class: 325 passengers (24.7%)

• Second Class: 285 passengers (21.7%)

• Third Class: 706 passengers (53.6%)

This distribution highlights that the majority of passengers (53.6%) were traveling in Third Class accommodations.

Male Passengers

Men constituted the largest group of passengers on the Titanic:

• Total male passengers: 805

• Percentage of total passengers: 61.2%

• Distribution across classes:

  • First Class: 175 men

  • Second Class: 168 men

  • Third Class: 462 men

The ratio of men to women was highest in Third Class (2.8:1) and lowest in First Class (1.2:1), reflecting the different social and economic factors influencing travel at the time.

Female Passengers

Women made up a significant portion of the Titanic’s passengers:

• Total female passengers: 402

• Percentage of total passengers: 30.5%

• Distribution across classes:

  • First Class: 144 women

  • Second Class: 93 women

  • Third Class: 165 women

Notably, First Class had the highest proportion of women (44.3%) compared to the other classes. This could be attributed to the social customs of the upper class, where women often traveled for leisure or to accompany their husbands on business trips.

Child Passengers

Children, defined as those under the age of 14, were the smallest group on board the Titanic:

• Total child passengers: 109

• Percentage of total passengers: 8.3%

• Distribution across classes:

  • First Class: 6 children

  • Second Class: 24 children

  • Third Class: 79 children

Interestingly, Third Class had the highest number of children on board, accounting for 72.5% of all children traveling on the Titanic. This aligns with the fact that many families were traveling in steerage, seeking new opportunities in America.