General Growth and Change:
* Increase: The population of the city has increased significantly.
* Decrease: The population of the town decreased after the factory closed.
* Grow: The population of the country is growing rapidly.
* Shrink: The population of the village has shrunk over the years.
* Fluctuate: The population of the island fluctuates depending on the season.
* Change: The population of the region has changed drastically in recent decades.
Specific Actions:
* Inhabit: People inhabit the island.
* Settle: The population settled in the valley.
* Populate: The city is populated by people from diverse backgrounds.
* Overpopulate: The island is overpopulated with tourists.
* Depopulate: The war depopulated the village.
Other options:
* Expand: The population of the city is expanding.
* Contract: The population of the town is contracting.
* Outnumber: The population of men outnumbered the women.
The best verb to use will depend on the specific context and what you want to convey.